HC Deb 09 July 1969 vol 786 cc1359-62
Mr. Channon

(by Private Notice) asked the Minister of Transport whether he will make a statement on the signal-men's dispute on the Eastern Region of British Rail.

The Minister of Transport (Mr. Richard Marsh)

An unofficial three-day strike by some signalmen, which began yesterday in the Eastern Region of British Railways, has affected services in certain areas. In the London area, about 70 per cent. of commuter services using Liverpool Street and Fenchurch Street, and about 50 per cent. of services using Kings Cross, were operated yesterday and this morning. Some main line passenger services from London to the North, between the North-East and the Midlands, and between Sheffield and Manchester, have been affected by strike action at Doncaster and Sheffield. There has also been some interference with freight traffic.

The action by the men involved has been taken against the advice of the National Union of Railwaymen, which has condemned the strike and is using its best endeavours to get the men back to work. The Railways Board has been talking again today with senior officials of the union and is taking all possible steps to minimise inconvenience and delay to passengers and freight.

There is no justification for this unconstitutional action and every effort is being made by British Railways and the National Union of Railwaymen to bring the strike to an end.

Mr. Channon

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that many travellers are very grateful to British Railways for their efforts, in spite of these difficulties, to provide services? Will he convey that feeling to British Railways?

However, is he aware that this is the second time within a week that he has had to tell the House about an unofficial strike seriously inconveniencing many thousands of travellers? What action does he propose to take in future to deal with these matters before rather than after the strike stage has been reached?

Mr. Marsh

I should like to thank the hon. Gentleman for his remarks about British Railways. Dealing with a problem of this size is very difficult and I am sure that his views will be appreciated.

Both strikes were about signalmen, although the backgrounds are rather different. It is worth bearing in mind that last week's strike was intended to be a regular weekly affair. I do not want to say much about it, but it was largely as a result of the union's action that that was not so.

I do not want to minimise the inconvenience to the public, but we should not be unaware of the fact that the industrial relations record of British Railways over the last year or so has been incomparably better than it was in the past.

Mr. Moonman

Will my right hon. Friend recognise that this is a serious matter, involving large numbers of people? Will he say precisely what help he has received from the Department of Employment and Productivity and whether the T.U.C. Strike Committee has been brought in?

Mr. Marsh

The Department of Employment and Productivity and my Ministry are very much involved in watching the situation, because negotiations are taking place jointly and action is taking place both with the employers and the National Union of Railwaymen. For that reason, the T.U.C. has not yet been invited to intervene, because we ought to see whether the N.U.R. can repeat its undoubted earlier success.

Sir S. McAdden

I join in the tributes which have been rightly paid to all grades of railway staff who have tried to help to ease this very difficult situation. Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the last train from Fenchurch Street this evening will leave at 6.45 and that many groups of employees, such as those engaged on shift work, newspaper workers, workers in the catering industry, and not least the hon. Member for Southend, East (Sir S. McAdden), cannot get home?

Mr. Marsh

I will certainly look into the matter of the specific train to which the hon. Gentleman refers, but I am sure that he will recognise that British Railways will consider it in the context of their overall operational problems.

Mr. Ron Lewis

Will my right hon. Friend confirm that the National Union of Railwaymen is doing all in its power to get the men back to work? Is he aware that at this very moment telegrams are being dispatched to all branches in the Eastern Region asking the men to return to work as soon as possible?

Mr. Marsh

I am aware of much of the action being taken by the N.U.R. The speech by the General Secretary of the N.U.R. this morning was very courageous in the circumstances, but at this stage I would rather not say too much about exactly what the union is doing.

Mr. Bessell

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that a number of people are using private cars to get to work and are finding themselves penalised by having to pay fines for improper parking because there are no additional parking spaces? Will he use his good offices with the G.L.C. and ask it to remove parking restrictions in the centre of the city during periods of strike?

Mr. Marsh

No. We have considered this. The Metropolitan Police drew up contingency plans in advance of the strike yesterday. They have provided temporary clearways on a number of roads, extra traffic patrols and free car-parking facilities at Hackney Marshes, by agreement with the G.L.C., and in Victoria Park. One of the difficulties of making parking widely available in Central London is that it can increase congestion by being used by people not affected by the strike.

Mr. Heffer

My right hon. Friend says that there is no justification for the strike. Can the House, for once, be told exactly what the issues are in a strike? Time after time we have statements from Ministers without being told exactly why workers are going on strike. It is my experience that workers do not go on strike unless they have some justification.

Mr. Marsh

I would slightly qualify what my hon. Friend has said. I think that generally they do not go on strike unless they think that they have some justification—they do not do it capriciously. I do not believe that they are justified and the men concerned obviously believe that they are.

It is not difficult to find reasons for the strike. It arises out of the railway pay and efficiency negotiations from which the railwaymen had an overall 3 per cent. increase. Unlike some other grades, these men did not get the further increases. They have been given an undertaking that at stage 2 this will be considered. This was agreed with the union and the union is still sticking to the bargain. In those circumstances, the men are not justified in striking.

Mr. Rhodes

I thank my right hon. Friend for his constructive approach to this problem. May I impress upon him the grave urgency of this matter, particularly because of the spread of the strike? Will he bear in mind that not only are services to Newcastle-upon-Tyne seriously disrupted, but that at 6 a.m. the Gateshead depôt is to go on strike, thus severely inconveniencing passenger and freight traffic in that area? The men are not striking without undue cause and ultimately the matter will have to be settled by the sides being brought together.

Mr. Marsh

The position could be very serious. This is a large industry and we are talking about 310 men who are causing enormous difficulties. There is no easy way out of this and the House would be well advised to appreciate that the union and the employers are trying to persuade the men to give up a strike which the union does not support.