Strikes (Hansard, 13 May 1968)

§ 27. Mr. Maddan
asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what percentage of strikes during 1967 were in breach of agreement.

§ Mr. Harold Walker
From the figures of strikes known to be official, it is estimated that between 90 per cent. and 95 per cent. of the strikes which occurred during 1967 were unofficial. Most of these strikes were in breach of procedure agreements.

§ Mr. Maddan
Do not these very striking figures, of 90 per cent. to 95 per cent., underline the need for trade union agreements to be enforceable at law?

§ Mr. Walker
No, Sir. They are not striking figures, as the hon. Gentleman suggests, because they follow very much the pattern of former years, and, indeed, are somewhat lower than in, for example, 1960, when the figure was considerably worse. It should also be borne in mind that the figures do not differentiate between strikes and lock-outs. There are some—for example, the recent Roberts-Arundel issue—in which there is obviously a question of deciding where the responsibility lies.

§ Mr. Orme
Is my hon. Friend right in respect of these figures? Do not many, of the strikes for which he has given figures start as unofficial ones and later become recognised by trade unions? Should not the position be made absolutely clear?

§ Mr. Walker
My hon. Friend is correct. Many difficulties arise in defining what is an official and what is an unofficial dispute. In some industries before a strike can be recognised by a union it must be embarked upon, and at that initial stage it is unofficial. As I say, there are difficulties in defining these matters, and we must remember the need to differentiate when different trade unions are involved. In some cases official recognition of a dispute is given while in others trade unions have not given official recognition. These difficulties of definition must be borne in mind. However, the most important thing is not whether a strike is official or unofficial but the total volume of strikes and our anxiety to reduce that number.

§ Mr. R. Carr
Does the Minister think that we can have strengthened industrial relations in this country until we reach a position where agreements, once made, are kept? Is he aware that no other industrial country suffers from this disease as we do?

§ Mr. Walker
I do not think that we shall reach the situation the right hon. Gentleman seeks until agreements are freely and voluntarily entered into by both sides. For example, the agreement on procedure in the engineering industry, which is a source of considerable dispute, was entered into in a period when the trade unions concerned were subject to duress by the employers. It is when we reach the situation where they are freely and voluntarily entered into by both parties that we might start to consider—but I must not anticipate the report of the Royal Commission.