§ 58. Mr. MARCH (for Mr. LANSBURY)asked the Minister of Labour the name of the trade union which took action resulting in the discharge of 12 men from Woolworth's works at Commercial Street, Whitechapel; whether he has made any inquiries of the discharged men as to whether they are non-unionists; in how many other instances similar action has been taken against London men in order to find work for men from the mining areas; how many of the 12 discharged men have been found other work; and were they paid unemployment benefit during their period of enforced unemployment?
§ Mr. BETTERTONEleven men from a mining area were amongst other engaged on this job. There were also a number of carpenters engaged in the ordinary way. Owing to the intervention of a trade union 12 carpenters who were not members of this union were discharged and others taken on in their place. There was no connection whatever with the introduction of the 11 men for a mining area; nor had the Department any sort of responsibility for the discharges.