§ 22 and 23. Mr. J. H. Osbornasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) if he will seek power to ascertain how many county borough and urban councils are now operating closed shop policies in one or more of their departments and if he will publish the details;
§ (2) whether he will inquire into the machinery of county, borough and urban councils for enforcing closed shop policies with a view to introducing legislation to provide safeguards for those of their employees who do not wish to join a trade union.
§ Mr. CrossmanThere is a well established tradition that local authorities should be left to manage their staff employment matters without interference from me, and I am not inclined to break it by instituting the kind of inquiry the hon. Member suggests. I would remind him, however, that the operation of closed shop policies by employers generally, including local authorities, comes within the terms of reference of the Royal Commission on Trade Unions and Employers' Associations.
§ Mr. OsbornWhile thanking the Minister for that reply, may I ask him to say what information he has 367 about the operation of closed shop policies in local government? Is it right that trade union members who are also councillors should sit on a committee and decide whether an individual should get the sack? Is it also right that the decision of such a committee should result in an individual having without justification to hand back payments to a benevolent society as an alternative to a union subscription? I have handed the Minister full details of the situation in Sheffield.
§ Mr. CrossmanHaving said that I will not interfere, I shall not do so by commenting on the hon. Gentleman's question. In my view, trade unionists have an equal right with employers to sit on a committee, and I shall not discourage them from doing so. As for what happened in Sheffield, I know all the details and I have decided that it would not be proper for me to interfere.