§ Mr. J. DAVISON(by Private Notice) asked the Minister of Labour whether he can make any statement about the negotiations in the threatened dispute in the engineering trade?
§ The MINISTER of LABOUR (Dr. Macnamara)I am glad to say that, after prolonged conferences, a joint memorandum was signed by the Negotiating Committees at two this morning, embodying an agreement reached between the representatives of the employers' federations and the unions concerned. I need not, perhaps, read this document, but I may say that the Negotiating Committee of the unions submitted the memorandum to their delegate meeting this morning, and the meeting by resolutions approved it and agreed to recommend the same to their constituent bodies for acceptance. The employers' representatives thereupon agreed to recommend the acceptance of the memorandum to their local associations. I should like to take this opportunity of paying a sincere tribute to those who have been concerned in these negotiations, both on the side of the employers and on that of the trade unions. If I may say so, the successful issue of the negotiations is a signal illustration of what can be done when employers' and workpeople's leaders sit down together to face a problem with a real intention of grappling with it until a solution has been found. I tender my congratulations equally to my hon. Friend the Member for South Croydon (Sir A. Smith) and his colleagues who represented the employers' 2344 federations, and to Mr. Brownlie and his colleagues who represented the trade unions.
§ Mr. DAVISONCan the right hon. Gentleman state what is the period for which this settlement has been reached?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI can show my hon. Friend a copy of the agreement.