§ 2. Mr. GALLACHERasked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware of the decision of the French Government to introduce legislation for the 40-hour week, without wage reductions, payment for holidays, and the establishment of collective contracts in industry; and whether he will introduce similar legislation in this country?
§ The MINISTER of LABOUR (Mr. Ernest Brown)I am aware of the legislation now under consideration in France. In this country the regulation of hours 1144 and conditions of labour by collective agreement is a well-established practice, and I am satisfied that in general the permanent advantage of the employed population will be more adequately secured by the continuance and development of this practice, rather than by the attempt to enforce rigid statutory requirements.
§ Mr. GALLACHERIs the Minister not aware that Belgium has followed the example of France in the matter of the 40-hour week; and will he not make an effort to bring this old backward country into line with that advance?
§ Mr. JAGGERWould the Minister take action if we did what the French did?
§ 6 and 7. Mr. LAWSONasked the Minister of Labour (1) the Government's policy in respect to the reduction of miners' hours by international arrangement;
(2) the Government's attitude towards the reduction of hours by international arrangement?
§ Mr. BROWNI would refer the hon. Member to the speech which I made last week at the International Labour Conference at Geneva in which the relevant views of His Majesty's Government were stated, and in which special reference was made to the following industries: iron and steel, building, textiles and coal mining. The speech will be published in due course in the record of the conference; in the meantime I am placing a few copies in the Library.
§ Mr. LAWSONIs it not the fact that there are fewer men employed now, by a considerable number, than were employed only a few years ago?
§ Mr. LAWSONIs it a fact that there are 100,000 fewer workpeople at work than there were a few years ago; and have the Government no remedy for a situation of that kind, when proposals 1145 are being made throughout Europe, in the international sphere, for the reduction of hours in order to absorb unemployed workers?
§ Mr. BROWNThat is another issue. I have pointed out in reply to the question that a statement of the Government's views has been made in full, and I would refer the hon. Member to it.
§ Mr. D. GRENFELLIn view of what the Minister says, and in view of the constant decline in employment in the mining industry, will the Government not consider a reduction of hours in order to meet that decline?
§ Mr. A. BEVANDoes the right hon. Gentleman think that it adds to the dignity of his office to give deliberately misleading figures?
§ 8. Mr. ROWSONasked the Minister of Labour the reasons why His Majesty's Government are not represented on the committee dealing with coal mines and working hours of miners underground at present sitting at the International Labour Conference at Geneva?
§ Mr. BROWNThe Committee on Coal Mines was set up to consider the application to the Coal Mining Industry of the 1935 40-hour week draft Convention of principle, and, as I explained in a speech made to the International Labour Conference on 9th June, the view of His Majesty's Government is that the principles set forth in that draft Convention are not acceptable in Great Britain. Moreover I would point out that the Draft Convention limiting Hours of Work in Coal Mines, as revised in 1935, remains unratified. In these circumstances it was felt that the representative of His Majesty's Government should not endeavour to secure membership of the committee. I should add that the number of Government representatives to sit on the committee was determined by the International Labour Conference and that the number of applications made by Governments for representation on the committee equalled the number of places to be filled.
§ Mr. ROWSONIs it not a fact that the Governments of the United States and France are represented on this committee and that they have expressed resentment at the attitude of the British Government?
§ Mr. BROWNI do not think that is so. The House will understand that we are represented on other committees on which they are not represented.
§ Mr. SHINWELLIs not the failure to ratify this important Convention due to the failure of this Government?
9. Miss CAZALETasked the Minister of Labour how many trades and industries grant annual holidays, with and without pay, to their employés?
§ 11. Mr. CARYasked the Minister of Labour whether it is possible for the Ministry of Labour to ascertain the percentage of businesses in this country which provide holidays for their workpeople with full pay; those businesses which only give partially paid holidays; and those businesses which only allow holidays without pay?
§ Mr. BROWNA list of the industries in which collective agreements are known to be in operation providing for annual holidays with pay for manual workers was given in the "Ministry of Labour Gazette" for April, 1936. The number of manual workers covered by such agreements cannot be stated exactly, but is estimated at about 1,500,000. The only information in the possession of my Department is that derived from these collective agreements, and information is not available as to the extent to which paid holidays are granted by employers in other industries, or as to how far holidays are granted with partial pay or without pay.
Miss CAZALETDoes not my right hon. Friend think it extremely desirable that all employers should grant annual holidays to their employés?
§ Mr. MANDERIn view of the great interest and importance of this question, will the right hon. Gentleman consider obtaining statistics from all the trades in the country to see how far this system 1147 is already in operation, and how far we have yet to go?