HC Deb 14 April 1938 vol 334 cc1286-8
15. Mr. R. J. Taylor

asked the Minister of Labour whether he has yet considered the facts brought to his notice concerning the refusal of the Lloyd's brokers, Leslie and Godwin, to allow members of their staff to join the Guild of Insurance Officials; whether he has taken the opinion of the Law Officers of the Crown regarding the legality of the methods of intimidation adopted by that firm to compel their employés to discontinue membership of their organisation; and what action he proposes to take in the matter?

Mr. E. Brown

My Department has been in communication with Messrs. Leslie and Godwin and has been informed that they have no objection to any member of their staff being a member of the Guild of Insurance Officials.

Mr. Lathan

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that each member of the staff was required, after an interview with the departmental heads, to sign a form of resignation the terms of which had been previously determined or suggested, and in these circumstances cannot he take action to persuade the firm to announce that these documents are null and void?

Mr. Brown

I have received letters from a large number of Members. I have sent them a written reply, but as it is rather long, perhaps the House will allow me to circulate a copy of the letter so that the whole House will be informed on the subject.

Mr. Lathan

Is the right hon. Gentleman not aware that copies of those documents have already been circulated to Members of the House and that the facts to which I have drawn attention are mentioned there?

Mr. Brown

Perhaps the hon. Member will look at the letter when I circulate it, and put any further question about it that he may desire to put after Easter.

Mr. R. J. Taylor

Is the right hon. Gentleman satisfied with his information, and is he prepared to interview the employés with a view to having their side of the matter considered?

Mr. Brown

We are always pleased to see them.

Mr. H. G. Williams

Is it not the case that the firm in question have not been very candid and that initially they called upon their employés to resign from the union on pain of dismissal, but that subsequently they repudiated their own action; and have they not given my right hon. Friend information with regard to the dispute which was in fact inaccurate?

Mr. Brown

I could not accept that. If my hon. Friend has any evidence to prove that, I shall be glad to go into it. I have given the information as supplied to me by the firm.

Following is the copy of the letter:

Dear Crowder,

On 12th April you wrote to me about a dispute between Messrs. Leslie & Goodwin, Limited, and the Guild of Insurance Officials. Following representations to my Department by the Guild, the matter has been discussed with directors of the company.

As regards the allegation that employés of the company were given the alternative of resigning from membership of the Guild or of leaving the employment of the company, the directors stated that this is untrue. They made it clear to the Department that they have no objection to any member of the staff being a member of the Guild and that there was no question of any member of the staff being dismissed as had been suggested. They take exception, however, to the claim of the Guild to represent their staff as a whole. In an interview between the Assistant Secretary of the company and the General Secretary of the Guild it was indicated that, while the welfare of the staff had always had their most sympathetic consideration, they were not, as an individual private firm, prepared to enter into negotiation with the Guild on the subject of the salaries and conditions of their staff generally.

I have no power to compel an employer to recognise any particular organisation for the purpose of settling the conditions of employés and in this connection, therefore, I can take no further action. The company, however, has indicated that they are prepared to consider any cases in which it may be suggested to the Department that the conditions of employment are not satisfactory, and the Department is in communication with the Guild accordingly.

(Signed) ERNEST BROWN.

John E. Crowder, Esq., M.P.,

House of Commons,

S.W.I.