§ Q2. Mr. Ian Lloydasked the Prime Minister whether he will now receive a deputation to discuss the situation regarding labour relations in the Tilbury Docks.
§ The Prime MinisterThis would not be appropriate at this particular moment, Sir.
§ Mr. LloydAre we not facing what amounts to a new and much more sinister version of the Mafia—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."]—I choose my words with care—in which industrial blackmail is substituted for the gun and in which neither management nor trade unions can exercise their legitimate authority, and is it not now clear that the State alone can take action to do something about it?
§ The Prime MinisterIf the hon. Gentleman and those with him want to see me approach industrial relations with that extravagance of language, I do not think that they have very much to contribute to what is already quite a difficult situation. He will know that the 177 position at Tilbury is at present the subject of a ballot among the union members on the Enclosed Docks Devlin stage 2 pay and productivity offer, a ballot which closes on 19th November. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will feel that it would be right to await the result of that ballot before we try to forecast what is likely to happen at Tilbury. The hon. Member had a meeting with my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State to the Department of Employment and Productivity and does not seem to have taken up the suggestion which I made to him in May about a meeting.
§ Mr. Michael HeseltineWould the right hon. Gentleman consider setting up an inquiry to establish the cost to our balance of payments of the diverted traffic from Tilbury and would he ask such an inquiry to consider the long-term implications for the Port of London of the effects of this long and damaging strike?
§ The Prime MinisterThe hon. Gentleman is right to stress that this is an extremely serious position as far as containerisation is concerned and its diversion to continental ports. But he will recognise the acute sensitivity on this issue in the docks, which have been suffering from a generation—in fact, a century—of casual labour. We have carried through decasualisation. This is one of the later stages of it which we hope will now come to a satisfactory conclusion.
§ Mr. EllisDoes my right hon. Friend accept that we are seeing a new element in political life; namely, that because of reorganisation schemes such as the one at Tilbury and massive mergers in which sometimes thousands of men are involved, people are demanding their say in these matters? If we think about them in terms of the Mafia we really will have trouble.
§ The Prime MinisterThat is true. As I have said, the great experiment of decasualisation is another new feature. There is also the fear of redundancy and unemployment due to the measures being taken to increase productivity. Hon. Members opposite who have raised this matter today might be surprised to know that in the London docks as a whole productivity on the basis of cargo tons 178 per man employed has increased by 17 per cent. over the last two years.