BUILDING TRADE DISPUTE, SCOTLAND. (Hansard, 10 March 1927)

§ Mr. NEIL MACLEAN
In the ten minutes that are left, it would be quite impossible for me either to state the situation that was raised by me yesterday in a question to the Minister of Labour regarding the dispute in the building trade in Glasgow and which was to have been discussed last night. Owing to the manner in which the House suddenly adjourned last night, and the fact that the Minister was taken unawares, I agreed to postpone it until to-night under the impression that should have a suitable opportunity to state the whole position and have a full reply from the Minister. The ten minutes left to me now are wholly inadequate to do justice either to the principle of the case or to the situation. After this I shall not consult the convenience of any Minister when I have any question to raise on the Adjournment, and whether he is here or not to answer I shall state the case and leave him to furnish the reasons why he is not present. If this dispute is not settled by Tuesday, I shall take occasion to raise the whole question and have a full debate on the subject. I could not allow the Motion for the Adjournment to pass without stating what I feel on the matter. I hope the dispute will he finished this week, but if it is not I shall do what I can next week to raise this question on every possible occasion which the Rides of the House allow.

§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of LABOUR (Mr. Betterton)
I regret just as much as the hon. Gentleman that he had not a full opportunity to-night of dealing with this matter, about which I know he feels very 1518 keenly. I agree that there is no time to go fully into it, but I might perhaps tell him that yesterday we saw representatives of the National Federation of Building Trades Operatives, who fully explained the position to us then. Last night, by the night train, we sent down one of our principal officers from the Ministry, and to-day he has seen the employers. Up to a very short time ago—I made special inquiries in order to give the hon. Gentleman, if I could, the latest information—we had received no report of what may have happened today, and so, in these circumstances, it is obvious that my right hon. Friend cannot make any statement or say anything with regard to any future action that it may be advisable to take, until he has received the official report of what took place to-day. I should be only too glad to keep the hon. Gentleman informed as to the latest developments, and, if he desires to raise it next week, I or my right hon. Friend will be happy to tell him what the position next week may be. That is the position so far as I know it now.

§ Mr. MACLEAN
May I ask the hon. Gentleman a question? He says that last night, by the night train, an official of the Ministry of Labour went North, and was in consultation with the employers. Can he tell the House what powers the Minister of Labour gave to the official who went North, or whether that official has any powers, or whether he is only to see the employers, or whether he has been given power to hold an inquiry on the spot?

§ Mr. BETTERTON
No; the decision as to whether an inquiry will be held, which is a matter which I do not prejudge or express any opinion about one way or the other, is obviously a decision which must be taken by my right hon. Friend himself. Therefore, if the hon. Gentleman asks whether the official who went down last night had direct authority to offer an inquiry, the answer is in the negative, because that decision which, together with any other action that my right hon. Friend may take, must be taken by him after he has heard the report, which I hope we shall receive tomorrow.

§ Mr. MACLEAN
May I take it that this official has been sent only to gather 1519 information and submit that information to the Minister, and that he has no powers apart from the right to consult with the employers and the operatives in this dispute, and report the results of his inquiries to the Minister of Labour?

§ Mr. BETTERTON
What this officer went down to do was to obtain, if I may so put it, the point of view of the employers. Yesterday we received the point of view of the operatives, and my right hon. Friend quite naturally and properly wants to get both points of view before taking his decision.

§ Mr. MACLEAN
Have you instructed him to consult with the National Federation of Building Contractors—from whom this small section that is responsible for this dispute, broke away—to find out what was the national agreement arrived at between the National Federation of Building Contractors and the building operatives?

§ Mr. BETTERTON
That I cannot answer definitely, but I think probably he is consulting only with the section that broke away. The hon. Member is right when he says that they did break away some 18 months ago. I accept what he said about the breakaway 18 months ago. That is undisputed. So far as I know on the question of fact there is no dispute at all.

§ Mr. MACLEAN
This is a very essential point. If the official of the Ministry is only going to take the point of view of this small section of employers who are responsible for the dispute, which now effects the craftsmen as well as the labourers who were originally affected. He is coming back with the point of view of this small section of building operatives. He is not getting the point of view of the main body of building contractors who are still associated with the Building Trades' Federation, that is, the contractors' assocation. If the instruction has not been given to him before he went, and if he is not coming back this week, instructions might well he sent to 1520 him the first thing to-morrow morning to find out from the secretary of the main body of building contractors what is their view of the situation.
Undoubtedly if this dispute goes on it will not confine itself merely to one section of the building trade, but it is likely to extend to those other contractors who are not affected in any way and who want to observe and act loyally by agreements they have entered into with the employers and the trade unions, but who may find themselves in difficulties over which they have no control and for which they are not responsible. I think if he gets the point of view of the responsible people in that section of the building trade and who are responsible for the national agreement, it would assist the Minister of Labour in coming to a decision on the matter.

§ Mr. BETTERTON
I shall certainly tell my right hon. Friend to-morrow morning exactly what my hon. Friend has said, and I have not the least doubt that if he thinks it would help him, as indeed well it might, to get the views of the larger body to which the hon. Member refers, he will take steps to get them. I will certainly represent that to my right hon. Friend to-morrow morning.

§ Mr. DUNCAN
May I inquire whether the Parliamentary Secretary would be able to give any report on this matter to-morrow when the House reassembles or at the end of the sitting in case there is any report on the visit of the Minister's official? There may have been considerable developments which have taken place in the meantime.

§ Mr. BETTERTON
I will certainly represent that also to my right hon. Friend and if there is anything to report to-morrow I will tell the hon. Member and the hon. Member for Govan (Mr. Maclean). My only desire is to put the hon. Member and the House in full possession of the farts as I know them.