TRADE BOARDS AND ROAD HAULAGE WAGES (EMERGENCY PROVISIONS) BILL. (Hansard, 6 February 1940)

§ Mr. Lathan
When the Bill was before the House last week, a question was raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Central Hackney (Mr. Watkins) in relation to the provisions of Clause 3 and a request was made for an inquiry into the charge which was then made, and for details, as to the refusal of certain firms to operate schemes relating to conditions of service for their employés. I hope that the Minister is prepared to-night to give some account of the negotiations that have taken place. I hope that he has made some inquiries, because it is clear that some firms are ignoring the schemes and the desires of the Ministry of Labour by their refusal to acquiesce. At a time like this the Government desire, I am sure, the co-operation of trade unions, thus testifying to their value in co-operation with the Government; and I am sure also that they will not wish any firm to act in the way in which these firms are acting. I hope that the Minister will be able to indicate that he is not indifferent to the question which has been raised, or that he regards it as satisfactory that this attitude should be adopted by firms in regard to sections of employés towards whom the Government have shown at least some measure of interest.

§ The Minister of Labour (Mr. Ernest Brown)
I should be very pleased to report on this matter to the hon. Member for Central Hackney (Mr. Watkins), but it does not arise on this Bill. If the House will refer to the original Act, they will find in the Third Schedule the particular types of workers covered. The workers to whom the hon. Member has referred are not in the Schedule. The 183 Parliamentary Secretary will no doubt report how far he has proceeded. As the hon. Member knows, he is attending a meeting at the Hague but when he returns to-morrow I will see how far he has gone with his enquiries.

§ Mr. Lathan
I must be under a misapprehension regarding the desires of the Government as to the determination of the wages and conditions of service in this connection. Am I to understand from the statement of the right hon. Gentleman that the arrangement which he and his Department made provides satisfactory conditions for one section of the staff and leaves another section entirely unprovided for?

§ Mr. Brown
Parliament decided in 1938 to include in the Act certain workers. They are those driving or assisting in the driving or control of a goods vehicle; collecting or loading goods to be carried in or on the vehicle; attending to goods while so carried; unloading or delivering goods after being so carried; acting as attendant to the vehicle. Those are specifically laid down in the Act, decided by Parliament after this issue had been raised, regarding other kinds of workers, some of whom were occupied with the engineering industry in a greater or less degree. I would call the attention 184 of the hon. Member to the last part of the Schedule, where he will find procedure whereby, after consultation with the Central Board and with other organisations concerned, the Minister may make an Order, but only upon an Affirmative Resolution of this House.
So the House will see that this is not the appropriate channel for such grievances as those for which the hon. Member desires a remedy. It is not the Ministry of Labour which prevents the principles of the Bill from being applied to other sections of workers. There is, of course, a certain procedure in the Act, and perhaps the hon. Member will have a talk with me about it. We may then be able to see how far my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary has gone with his inquiries.