HC Deb 11 February 1937 vol 320 cc555-6
3. Mr. Ridley

asked the Minister of Labour how many days were lost in industrial disputes in the railway industry and in the mining industry, respectively, in the year 1936?

Mr. E. Brown

The aggregate number of working days lost in 1936 in industrial disputes involving stoppages of work was approximately 6,000 in the railway industry and 850,000 in the coal mining industry.

Mr. Ridley

Will the Government consider carefully the inefficiency of private ownership in the mining industry, and will they consider also their attitude to the Bill which is to be discussed to-morrow?

Mr. Brown

That is a controversial question.

Lieut.-Colonel Moore

Can the Minister give the corresponding figure for 1930?

Mr. Brown

If figures are asked for I will get them.

Mr. Watkins

Is the difference between the days lost in the railway industry and those lost in the mining industry not due to the fact that in the railway industry there are proper sectional arrangements for the discussion, solving and removing of grievances?

Mr. Brown

That subject is too large to be dealt with in answer to a Supplementary Question.

4. Mr. Ridley

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons were employed in the railway industry and in the mining industry, respectively, in the week ended 19th December, 1936?

Mr. Brown

Statistics of the total numbers employed by railway companies are compiled only in respect of March of each year by the Ministry of Transport. The latest available return relates to the week ended 7th March, 1936. when the total number employed by the railway companies of Great Britain (including persons employed by the Railway Clearing House, and in connection with the railways of the London Passenger Transport Board) was 585,611. This figure includes staff engaged in ancillary businesses such as railway workshops, hotels, docks, steamships, etc., and represents the number of staff receiving salaries or wages for the full week, combined with the equivalent number of full-time workers in cases when employés were paid for less than the complete week. As regards the coal-mining industry, statistics published by the Mines Department show that the total number of wage-earners on the colliery books in Great Britain in the week ended 19th December, 1936, was 761,100.