§ 55. Lieut.-Colonel HOWARD - BURYasked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware of the trade dispute in Messrs. Alfred Hickman's iron and steel works at Bilston, by which nearly 3,000 men are thrown out of employment; that this was due to some 400 men of the Workers' Union coming out on strike and making it impossible for the works to continue; that the other 2,000 men, thrown out of 1749 employment through no fault of their own and belonging mostly to the Iron and Steel Trades' Confederation, are unable to obtain unemployment pay as the local Employment Exchange refuses to allow them to register; and whether he will take immediate steps to remedy this state of affairs?
§ Miss BONDFIELDI am aware of this case. Payment of benefit has been disallowed by the Chief Insurance Officer under the provisions of the existing law relating to trade disputes and unemployment benefit, but it is open to the men or their association to appeal to the court of referees. The Unemployment Insurance Bill now before Parliament contains a Clause designed to deal with cases of this kind.
§ Lieut.-Colonel HOWARD - BURYIs the Parliamentary Secretary aware that some 2,500 men, belonging to a union in which there has been no strikes for a great many years, have been thrown out of employment owing to some men of another union going out on strike?
§ Miss BONDFIELDThat is one of the defects of the existing Act which the Bill is intended to remedy.
§ Mr. W. THORNEIs it not a fact that a few days ago, when Members on this side tried to rectify the Unemployment Insurance Bill for the purpose of assisting such men as these, hon. Members opposite objected to that course.