HC Deb 27 February 1973 vol 851 cc1270-2
15. Mr. Arthur Jones

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he has received any further approaches from the Trades Union Congress with regard to reviewing the law of picketing and drawing up a code of picketing practice.

Mr. Maurice Macmillan

No, Sir.

Mr. Jones

Is my right hon. Friend satisfied that the TUC and the unions in membership are prepared to co-operate in ensuring that there shall not be intimidation on the picket line?

Mr. Macmillan

Mr. Victor Feather, the General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress, has made it perfectly plain that he is against all forms of violence and intimidation on the picket line and the joining of the picket line by unauthorised persons. I am prepared to consider any suggestions which the TUC may care to make on the subject. I think that a voluntary code of practice issued with the authority of the TUC could be very useful.

Mr. Arthur Lewis

As we have a unique situation today with many thousands of civil servants on strike for the first time in our history, will the right hon. Gentleman consult the Civil Service unions today? Perhaps they could give him some idea of how this matter could be resolved and also discuss their wage problems.

Mr. Macmillan

Such evidence as I have seen of the picketing which has been going on today shows that it has been entirely peaceful.

Sir F. Bennett

My right hon. Friend said that he had not received any representations from the TUC. Has he received any representations to expedite the review of picketing which the Government are carrying out?

Mr. Macmillan

We are considering a review of the law. The major problem is not so much the adequacy of the law, particularly the criminal law—as my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary made clear in a speech at Dulwich on the 13th of this month, the ordinary criminal law is not suspended on the picket line, and I do not think that has been disputed—as the question of enforcement. We are considering whether anything can be done to explain the law more clearly to those concerned.

Mr. Eadie

Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that it would assist him in any discussions with the TUC if he put forward a code of practice for Prime Ministers when we recall that on 13th August 1966 his right hon. Friend the present Prime Minister said: The power to break agreements already made is particularly objectionable, and is in sharp contrast to the policies followed by the Conservative Government in the past"?

Mr. Macmillan

What the hon. Gentleman has read out is totally irrelevant to the Question. I am perfectly certain that neither he nor any right hon. or hon. Member on either side of the House would in any way wish to suggest that the trade union movement as a whole approved of violence, intimidation or breach of the criminal law on picketing.

Sir Harmar Nicholls

In view of all that is happening in this respect, could not the Government forgo their normal fundamental philosophy and think in terms of nationalising the trade union movement?

Mr. Macmillan

That would give rise to some interesting problems and considerations.

Mr. Prentice

Will the right hon. Gentleman confirm that, to his knowledge, there is no complaint against picketing in the gas dispute or in any other current dispute? Is it not important that we get this matter in perspective: that whereas on the one hand we would all condemn the rare occasions on which violence or intimidation was used, on the other hand we should all condemn those members of the Conservative Party who use it as an excuse for union bashing?

Mr. Macmillan

I think that the greater part of that supplementary question by the right hon. Gentleman was less that generous. There is genuine concern not only among right hon. and hon. Members on this side of the House but in the country as a whole, not least among trade unionists, at some manifestations in the past of violence and intimidation which we cannot deny have taken place. I am happy to confirm that, as far as I am aware, in the current gas industry dispute there has been no question of anything of that sort.