HC Deb 19 July 1949 vol 467 cc1145-8
28. Sir Ralph Glyn

asked the Minister of Labour which docks are subject to the terms of the Dock Labour Scheme; and how many docks involving how many men work under conditions different to the Dock Labour Scheme as applied to the London docks.

Mr. Ness Edwards

As the answer is long, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Sir R. Glyn

Can the right hon. Gentleman tell the House whether there is a larger number of dockers working under a system other than the London system?

Mr. Ness Edwards

I should say that a substantial part of the dock workers in this country come under the National Dock Labour Scheme, which is precisely the same as the London Port Scheme.

Following is the answer:

PORTS TO WHICH THE NATIONAL DOCK LABOUR SCHEME RELATES

A. Ayrshire ports: The following ports:
  1. (1) Ardrossan.
  2. (2) Ayr.
  3. (3) Irvine.
  4. (4) Troon.

B. The Port of Barrow-in-Furness.

C. Bristol and Severn ports: The following ports:
  1. (1) Bristol.
  2. (2) Sharpness.
  3. (3) Gloucester.
 D. Cornwall ports: The following ports:
  1. (1) Charlestown.
  2. (2) Falmouth.
  3. (3) Fowey.
  4. (4) Hayle.
  5. (5) Mousehole.
  6. (6) Newlyn.
  7. (7) Par.
  8. (8) Penryn.
  9. (9) Penzance.
  10. (10) Porthleven.
  11. (11) Portreath.
  12. (12) St. Ives.
  13. (13) Truro.
 E. Cumberland ports: The following ports:
  1. (1) Maryport.
  2. (2) Silloth.
  3. (3) Whitehaven.
  4. (4) Workington.
 F. East Anglian ports: The following ports:
  1. (1) Boston.
  2. (2) Great Yarmouth.
  3. (3) Kings Lynn.
  4. (4) Lowestoft.
  5. (5) Sutton Bridge.
  6. (6) Wisbech.
 G. East Coast of Scotland ports: The following ports:
  1. (1) Aberdeen.
  2. (2) Bo'ness.
  3. (3) Burntisland.
  4. (4) Dundee and Tayport.
  5. (5) Grangemouth.
  6. (6) Kirkcaldy.
  7. (7) Leith and Granton.
  8. (8) Methil.

H. The Port of Fleetwood.

I. The Port of Glasgow.

J. The Port of Greenock.

K. The following ports:

  1. (1) Grimsby.
  2. (2) Immingham.

L. The following ports:

  1. (1) Hull.
  2. (2) Goole.

M. The Port of Ipswich.

N. The Port of London.

O. The Medway and Swale ports:

  1. (1) The Medway Conservancy.
  2. (2) Queenborough Harbour Authority.
  3. (3) Milton Creek Conservancy.
  4. (4) Faversham Navigation Commission.
  5. (5) Whitstable.

P. The following ports:

  1. (1) Birkenhead.
  2. (2) Bromborough.
  3. (3) Ellesmere Port.
  4. (4) Garston.
  5. (5) Liverpool.
  6. (6) Manchester.
  7. (7) Partington.
  8. (8) Preston.
  9. (9) Runcorn.
  10. (10) Weston Point.
  11. (11) Widnes.

Q. The following ports:

  1. (1) Middlesbrough.
  2. (2) The Hartlepools.

R. The Port of Plymouth.

S. The following ports:

  1. (1) Southampton.
  2. (2) Poole and Hanworthy.
  3. (3) Weymouth.

T. South Wales ports: The following ports:
  1. (1) Barry.
  2. (2) Cardiff and Penarth.
  3. (3) Llanelly.
  4. (4) Newport.
  5. (5) Port Talbot.
  6. (6) Swansea.
 U. Tyne and Wear ports: The following ports:
  1. (1) Newcastle.
  2. (2) Gateshead.
  3. (3) North Shields.
  4. (4) South Shields.
  5. (5) Sunderland.
  6. (6) Blyth.
  7. (7) Seaham Harbour.
  8. (8) Dunstan.

The number of ports which are classified as ports for the purposes of the industrial agreements of the National Joint Council for the Port Transport Industry, and which are not included in the National Dock Labour Scheme is 34. No exact information is available as to the number of men employed on dock work in these ports, but they are all small ports.

Following is the List:

List of ports classified by the National Joint Council for the Port Transport Industry for its industrial agreements, but which are not included in the National Dock Labour Scheme.

Greater Ports:
Lancaster. Stockton.
Portsmouth.
Smaller Ports:
Arbroath. Isle of Man ports.
Aberystwyth. Lerwick.
Banff. Montrose.
Barnstaple. Newhaven.
Berwick. Padstowe.
Bridgwater. Peterhead.
Briton Ferry. Ramsgate.
Carlisle. Scilly Isles.
Colchester. Stornoway.
Cowes. Teignmouth.
Dumfries. Torquay.
Exeter. Whitby.
Exmouth. Whitstable.
Frazerburgh. Wick.
Hayle. Wigtown.
Inverness.
29. Sir R. Glyn

asked the Minister of Labour how many men are now employed as registered dock workers; how does this figure compare with 1938, in both instances, including workers at all docks and harbours in the United Kingdom but excluding Northern Ireland; and what are the trades unions concerned with this type of labour.

Mr. Ness Edwards

As the answer is long, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the reply:

Figures supplied by the National Dock Labour Board show that 74,767 men were on the Dock Workers' Register as at 2nd July, 1949. Comparable figures are not available for 1938, but at the middle of that year the number of insured men aged 16–64 employed in the port transport industry as a whole was about 95,000.

The trade unions concerned are:

Transport and General Workers Union.

National Union of General and Municipal Workers.

National Amalgamated Stevedores and Dockers.

Scottish Transport and General Workers Union, comprising the Workers' side of the National Joint Council for the Port Transport Industry.

In addition, the Watermen, Lightermen, Tugmen, and Bargemen's Union represents the classes of workers described in that title.