§ 44. Mr. Kenneth Lewisasked the Minister of Labour how many staff in his Department are fully engaged in assisting industry to increase productivity agreements.
§ Mr. GunterTwenty officials of my Ministry are fully employed and a larger number spend a substantial part of their time on the work of assisting industry to conclude productivity agreements.
§ Mr. LewisDoes not the Minister agree that if he is to look at a massive number of new productivity agreements over and above the 3½ per cent. norm, he will have to apply hundreds more staff to do it? Is it not better to leave it to industry to work out productivity agreements and, if those in industry get into any difficulties, for them to come to him so that he can help them in their difficulties?
§ Mr. GunterThe trouble is that when people have got into the difficulties and signed the agreement, it is all over; there is not much chance then of rectifying a situation. How many productivity agreements will emerge, I do not know. So 906 far, we have not done badly with the staff involved. About 903 productivity agreements have been before the experts during the last 15 months and about 85 of them have been rejected.