§ 10. Mr. Granvilleasked the Minister of Labour whether it is his intention to set up machinery to obtain the closest coordination between management and men, for the consideration of outstanding problems of production upon a co-operative basis, in individual factories engaged upon war armaments?
§ Mr. BevinIt is my policy to secure joint consultation between managements and their employés on all matters in which they are mutually interested through joint standing committees and other joint arrangements, within the procedure agreed between the employés organisations and trade unions concerned.
§ Mr. GranvilleWill the right hon. Gentleman take into consideration that, in individual factories where you get able leadership and cooperation between management and men, you get also not only the best conditions but the best output? Does he not think there is a case for encouraging or setting up, in individual factories, committees on output between management and men?
§ Mr. BevinI took the step of trying some time ago to get that very proposal made compulsory, but there was great difference of opinion in industry whether it should be made compulsory, owing to the methods adopted in the relationships, in the variety of trades concerned. I have expanded it enormously, under the Essential Work Orders, and recently, in the Mines Order, pit committees have almost been made, as near as you can get to it, legal entities. The same is true in shipbuilding and other industries. The country is pretty well covered with joint committees of one kind or another in these undertakings.
§ Mr. GranvilleIf it is fair and just, and will assist war production, will the right hon. Gentleman use the enormous power that this House has conferred on him?
§ Mr. BevinIn the exercise of power it is not my intention to ride roughshod over the long-established relationships in industry. To do that might produce much greater chaos.