§ 3. Mr. T. WILLIAMSasked the Minister of Labour whether he has considered a variation of the policy when inquiring into the question of overtime by asking trade unions as well as employers for their observations?
§ Mr. E. BROWNIn connection with the question of the means by which more workpeople may be absorbed into employment my predecessor met representatives of the Trade Union Congress General Council, and I have arranged a further meeting with them later this month. In these discussions the question of overtime is one of the matters under consideration, and I shall be glad to receive any information the trade unions can provide.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSAs the right hon. Gentleman informed the House on Thursday last when he was seeking this information he only made inquiries from employers, will he now vary that practice by asking the trade union representatives as well as the employers for this information?
§ Mr. BROWNThe hon. Member is under a misapprehension. The fact is that we obtain every month returns from a large number of trade unions relating to the state of employment among their members. On each return form is printed a question asking for the amount of overtime worked. Out of 800 such returns sent out to the head offices and some of the branch offices we received last month nearly 500 replies covering 530,000 members which supplied no information as to the amount of overtime, and 290 covering 160,000 members, stated that no overtime was worked. Only 37 returns, covering 27,000 members, supplied figures as to the number working overtime and the amount of overtime worked.