56. Mr. TYSON WILSONasked the President of the Board of Trade whether unemployed men in the building trade registering themselves at London Labour Exchanges are being asked whether they are prepared to sign the circular recently issued by the master builders; and whether these officials have been authorised to put this question and thus associate the Exchanges to some extent with the document?
§ Mr. BURNSApplicants to Labour Exchanges for vacancies notified by London master builders have been carefully informed both of the existence of a dispute and of the conditions of employment offered, including, of course, that to which my hon. Friend refers. The information has been given by way of warning of the condition to be expected, and in no way as an invitation to workmen to comply with it. But for this proper information workmen might have had fruitless journeys to apply for jobs in ignorance of a condition which would cause them to refuse the work on arrival.
Mr. TYSON WILSONIf any of these men who accept employment at a distance from London are not allowed to start work because they were locked out, will they be entitled to unemployment benefit under the Insurance Act?
§ Mr. BURNSI do not think that arises out of the question. It is the duty and object of the superintendents of Labour Exchanges to give truthful information as to the issue and causes of a dispute, but to observe absolute neutrality from the point of view of the dispute itself.
§ Mr. W. THORNEIn the event of the men refusing to go to work at any of the works indicated, will they have a black mark placed against them?
§ Mr. ALDENCan the right hon. Gentleman do anything to check the boycott of trade unionists who cannot get work in the country because they are known to be locked out in London?
§ Mr. BURNSIf my hon. Friend will give me information as to that, I will direct my attention to the special case.
57. Mr. TYSON WILSONasked the right hon. Gentleman whether the Labour Exchange at St. Albans is asking for joiners for a job at Dover; that when men apply they are asked whether they are locked out, because, if so, they are not eligible for the Dover job; and whether this Exchange has received authority to secure workmen for a job where men at present concerned in a dispute are debarred?
§ Mr. BURNSI have made inquiries into the case referred to by my hon. Friend, and find that certain vacancies were notified to the Dover Exchange with regard to which it was stipulated by the employer as a condition of employment that applicants should not have been locked out by the London Master Builders Association. These vacancies were communicated to the St. Albans Exchange, which, in bringing them to the notice of certain applicants for employment, followed the practice prescribed in the Statutory Regulations, namely, to give applicants all the information in their possession as to the conditions of employment, with a view to avoiding disappointment and fruitless journeys.
Mr. TYSON WILSONWill the men be allowed to post up in Labour Exchanges a black list containing the names of unfair firms?
§ Mr. BURNSMy hon. Friend has not given me any evidence of a black list. I do not believe that one is in existence. If he has any information about it I shall be pleased if he will communicate it to me.
§ Mr. W. THORNEIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is no need for a black list as a man's insurance card tells where he comes from?