HC Deb 16 October 1969 vol 788 cc581-2
12. Mr. Speed

asked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will state the total number of stoppages and working days lost this year due to industrial disputes including and excluding mining and quarrying.

The Under-Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity (Mr. Harold Walker)

It is provisionally estimated that for the period 1st January to 31st August, 1969, 3,594,000 working days were lost in all industries and services as a result of stoppages of work due to industrial disputes in the United Kingdom. The number of stoppages beginning in this period and which came to the notice of my Department was 1,868. Excluding mining and quarrying the corresponding figures were 3,552,000 and 1,736.

Mr. Speed

Does the Minister not agree that these very serious figures show that, excluding mining and quarrying, there are likely to be this year even more strikes than the record figure of last year? Second, do not the figures also show that there has been no reduction in the number of working days lost through the incidence of strikes since the Government four months ago abandoned the Industrial Relations Bill?

Mr. Walker

I disagree with the hon. Member in the latter part of his supplementary question. There is a later Question on this specific point. In relation to the first part of the supplementary question, in terms of working days lost, last year was far from a record and was surpassed by the figures of working days lost in 1959 and 1962. If one looks at the last ten years, the period referred to in the hon. Gentleman's supplementary question compares favourably with the two years to which I have made reference, 1959 and 1962.

Mr. William Hamilton

To get this matter into perspective, will my hon. Friend give the figures for the number of working days lost due to sickness and industrial accidents?

Mr. Walker

I cannot give those figures without notice.