British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 813

CHAPTER XVIII.

66. The above-mentioned increases combined represent a total increase of 15 x l.08=16.2% of wages or an increase of 9.2% of total building costs (wages materials overheads). This increase converted into terms of value per square metre represents an additional cost of £P.l.450 per square metre of built-up area.

67. The increase in wages has taken place notwithstanding the fact that wages paid in June, 1945, were already in excess of those payable according to The formula accepted by labour (the Wages Committee index) as shown in table 13.

68. On the other hand the Controller of Heavy Industries, with the view of reducing the present excessive cost of building, has initiated and sponsored the local manufacture of certain standarised building supplies under mass production conditions. By means of standardisation and controlled production it has been possible to reduce the cost of windows from £P.8.- to £P.3.per square metre and that of wooden doors from £P.12.- to £P.5.500 per door. Though not so outstanding as in the case of windows and doors, substantial reductions have also been secured in the production cost of other building supplies, but efforts in this direction tend to be neutralized by constant increases in the cost of labour, which continue to take place irrespective of movements of the cost of living index.

Table 13.

TABLE SHOWING THE EXCESS IN THE WAGE RATES PAID IN JUNE, 1945, THE EXCESS BEING SHOWN AS TIIE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WAGES ACTUALLY PAID AND THE WAGES WHICH ARE PAYABLE UNDER THE WAGFS Committee FORMULA EXPRESSED AS A PERCENTAGE OF

THE LATTER.

Trade

I Arab I Jewish labor

1 labour Jerusalem I Tel Aviv ! Haifa

Stone masons 22 - - I -
Quarrymen 1st Class - 44 - -
2nd Class - as - 36
3rd Class - 40 - I -
Stone dressers 1st Class - 24 - 47
2nd Class - 18 - 35
3rd Class - 15 I - 30
Bar-benders 1st Class f 36 70 47
2nd Class 52 26 I - 35
3rd Class 24 44 30
Shutterers 1st Class f 36 70 47
and Class 86 26 I - 35
3rd Class 24 44 30

Page 813