PAY OF W.A.A.C.’S

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23743, 15 September 1942, Page 6

PAY OF W.A.A.C.’S

Sir,— My d&ughter recently joined the W.A.A.C.’s and is at present in camp. I find from her paybook that her gross rate of pay a day is os, minus Is Id. The deductmn of Is Id is not shown in the deduction column, either under the heading of allotment or deferred pay, so it must be assumed that it is some form of taxation or a compulsory contribution towards board and lodgings. On enlistment my daughter was told that she would receive 5s a day free of tax, and no suggestion was made that she would have to pay for her keep. I would also like to draw the attention of the authorities to the fact that the girls in camp have not yet been issued with boots, and that large numbers of them have already worn out their shoes. Girls shoes are not made to stand up to route marches and drill on asphalt and gravel. I trust that there is some satisfactory explanation of the above facts, for it appears at present that these young girls are not havmg the true position placed before them when they are persuaded to enlist.—Yours, etc ” X.X. September 11, 1942. Sir—ln your Wednesday’s issue there is an article dealing with the W.A.A.C. camp, praising facilities generally and featuring the general content of the occupants. On the surface perhaps this is right, but I think the general public should know about a matter of real discontent among the girls concerned, which I think absolutely unfair and unjust. . I .refer to the matter of pay. The majority of these girls were given to understand that their pay was to be 5s a day, but were not told that Is ■ Id was to be deducted daily for their keep in camp. These girls were recruited to relieve men from various duties, and as these men were getting 7s a day, surely the girls were hardly treated by being paid only ss, but when Is Id a day is deducted from their pay it seems time that a general investigation of the whole question of pay should be made.—Yours, etc., FAIR FLAY. September 11, 1942. [An officer at Southern District Headquarters said that in the conditions of enlistment for W.A.A.C. s it was provided that the rate of pay was 5s a day. that those living out of camps received an additional 2s 6d a day, and that those receiving quarters and rations had a deduction of Is Id a day made from their pay. Boots and shoes were being issued as fast as they were received from the factories. A large number of shoes had been issued.]