WORKERS IN U.K.

Press, Volume C, Issue 29506, 6 May 1961, Page 13

WORKERS IN U.K.

630 Earn £5O A Week

(London Correspondent of "The Press") LONDON, April 28. Who are Britain's 630 manual workers holding down the £2500-a-year jobs? More than half of Britain's manual workers earn, according to the results of a survey just published, between £9 and £l5 a week; a few earn less than £9 and a third earn between £l5 and £2O. About 12 per cent, earn more than £2O. But last autumn, the Ministry of Labour’s survey revealed that at least 630 men had improved their wages to £5O a week, or more. A week's earnings were checked at a sample of 60.000 firms employing manual workers who are skilled, semi-skilled and un. skilled. The results show that of 630 men whose earnings then put them in the surtax class, 151 are in industrial plant manufacture, and 145 are in the newspaper printing in. dustry. Others are construction men (83), iron and steel workers (69), shipbuilders, machine manufacturers general printers, miners, dock workers and men in aircraft manufacturing. Twenty-three years ago when the last similar survey was taken only 2.2 per cent, of men were earning more than £6 a week. Taking into account subsequent price increases the equivalent wage is now about £lB. The 1960 sample, covering 4 million workers, shows that five per cent, of men earn above this, indicating a small improve, ment in real income.