§ 30. Mr. Thomas Reidasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is now able to make a statement about the strikes in the mental hospital, railways, fire service, printing office, and part of the Public Works Department, Jamaica.
Mr. Creech JonesThe Government Printing Office employees returned to work on 25th of February. The strikes in other essential services ended by agreement with the Trades Union Council on nth of March. As I informed the House on 13th of March, this enables any out standing matters affecting the workers to be settled by negotiation.
§ Mr. ReidIs it not a fact that at the back of these strikes is the rivalry between the T.U.C. union and Mr. Bustamente's union, and may I ask him if Mr. Bustamente's personal union is liable for registration under the trade union laws of the Colony?
Mr. Creech JonesThe latter part of the question should obviously be addressed to the Governor of Jamaica and I am unable to answer it. Undoubtedly, a great deal of the trouble has arisen from internal union rivalry.