HC Deb 24 February 1969 vol 778 cc1069-71
41. Mr. Brooks

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what is the policy of her Department regarding the growth and reorganisation of trade unions on the basis of separate organisations for white collar and blue collar workers.

Mr. Harold Walker

As Paragraph 54 of the White Paper makes clear, the Government are anxious to encourage trade unionism and the extension of collective bargaining machinery among white collar and other categories of employees. The question whether white collar employees should be in separate organisations is primarily a matter for the individuals and unions concerned.

Mr. Brooks

Is that entirely so? Would my hon. Friend now care to clarify the Government's attitude towards the Pearson court of inquiry's recommendations regarding the two white collar unions? Would he not agree that the Government's attitude on this vexed problem will establish the future evolution of trade unions for many years to come?

Mr. Walker

My right hon. Friend will be seeking to answer a Question on this matter at the end of Question Time.

Mr. Ridley

Would the hon. Gentleman or his right hon. Friend consider setting up a system of elections so that the workers themselves can decide which unions should represent them, rather than the unions taking arbitrary decisions on their behalf?

Mr. Walker

The Government considered this, as did the Royal Commission on Trade Unions and, on balance, we thought that this was not the best way of tackling the problem. We have our own approach to this, embodied in the White Paper on industrial relations.

Mr. Eddie Griffiths

Would my hon. Friend remember that, in industry, there have traditionally been two sides, namely, the employers and the employees, and that I believe that it is invidious in 1969 that we should now sub-divide the workers into those who wear white collars and those who wear blue overalls? I believe that the trade unions—

Mr. Speaker

Order. The hon. Gentleman must concentrate his beliefs when asking a supplementary question.

Mr. Walker

I understand the point which my hon. Friend was seeking to make and I entirely agree with it. I would ask him to read the White Paper, in which we make the same point with great emphasis.

Mr. R. Carr

How can the hon. Gentleman make his answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Cirencester and Tewkesbury (Mr. Ridley) tally with what is said in Paragraph 18 of the White Paper, about the need to give workers the chance to participate themselves in deciding future changes?

Mr. Walker

The question of the hon. Member referred to balloting workers to decide which union they should belong to, and I said that we and the Royal Commission had considered this and, on balance, decided that it was not the best way to tackle the problem. If the right hon. Gentleman thinks that it is, or that my answer is in some way inconsistent with the White Paper policy, no doubt he will develop that argument when we have our debate next week.