§ 20. Mr. Cordleasked the Minister of Labour what proportion of strikes in the last 18 months was in breach of collective agreements.
§ Mr. HattersleyFrom the figures of strikes known to be official it can be estimated that between 90 and 95 per cent. of the strikes which occurred in the 18 months covering 1966 and the first half of 1967 were unofficial. Most of these strikes were in breach of procedura agreements.
§ Mr. CordleWhen will the Minister of Labour introduce legislation to enable collective agreements to be enforceable at law?
§ Mr. HattersleyThe question presupposes that the Minister of Labour will introduce some legislation at some time. If that supposition is right, I have to tell the hon. Gentleman that he will know that we have no intention of that till after the report of the Royal Commission on trade unions.
§ Mr. John PageIs the hon. Gentleman aware that this quite extraordinary answer will cause great disquiet in the country and that the country is expecting the Government to take action on the lines suggested by my hon. Friend?
§ Mr. HattersleyI hope, if there is disquiet in the country, the country will get the matter clearly in perspective. For the first nine months of this year, the ratio of days lost through unofficial strikes as opposed to official strikes was about four to one. This is by no means the worst record. For the first nine months in 1960, for instance, the figure was six to one.
§ Mr. Hugh JenkinsIs my hon. Friend aware that the Labour movement and even the most intelligent Conservatives recognise that it is impossible to stop industrial disputes by legal action?
§ Mr. HattersleyI think we need to see if the report of the Royal Commission on trade unions upholds that view.
§ Mr. RidsdaleThe Minister has three times mentioned the Royal Commission on trade unions. Would he care to say when this Commission will report? Does he realise that this is a matter of the utmost urgency for the country?
§ Mr. HattersleyWe certainly realise the urgency of all these matters. I think the House will recall that my right hon. Friend once said that he looked forward to good advice in the spring, and that is the time when we hope to have something from the Royal Commission.
27. Mr. Edward M. Taylorasked the Minister of Labour how many hours were lost in strikes in the first nine months of 1967; how many hours were lost by men and women made redundant in consequence of these strikes; and what were the comparable figures for the first nine months of each of the previous five years.
§ Mr. HattersleyAs the reply includes a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate a Statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
Mr. TaylorWould the hon. Gentleman agree that the modern arrangement of industry means that a large number of innocent people are put out of work when there is an unofficial strike, and will he consider, after the Royal Commission, a cooling-off period?
§ Mr. HattersleyI am sure that the Royal Commission will consider it, and we will consider anything that it recommends. However, I could not give an undertaking before its report is published.
§ Following is the reply:
§ The number of days lost at the establishments where the disputes occurred through stoppages of work due to industrial disputes in the United Kingdom in the first nine months in each of the years 1962 to 1967 was as follows:
| 1962 | 4,980,000 |
| 1963 | 1,265,000 |
| 1964 | 1,890,000 |
| 1965 | 2,511,000 |
| 1966 | 2,043,000 |
| 1967 (Provisional) | 1,730,000 |