Worker Directors (Hansard, 19 March 1974)

§ 5. Mr. Duffy
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will seek talks with employers about the introduction of a worker/director scheme.

§ Mr. Booth
The Government intend to examine various ways of promoting industrial democracy, and I shall certainly be seeking the views of both employers and trade unions.

§ Mr. Duffy
Will my hon. Friend bear in mind the EEC proposals in the matter and additionally the German Social Democrat commitment to parity on supervisory boards? If the German workers achieve parity, does he think that British workers will accept less?

§ Mr. Booth
I very much hope that British workers will not accept less in this field than any other continental workers, and I recognise the relevance of the German experience in this. We shall look at the proposals which have come from Brussels in the light of the policies following our renegotiation of membership of the EEC.

§ Mr. Tugendhat
Will it be the Minister's normal practice to seek the CBI's advice on matters of this kind, or does he think that the Secretary of State's practice of not seeking advice on matters like the Industrial Relations Act is the precedent that ought to be followed in general cases?

§ Mr. Booth
In industrial democracy, as in other matters in which the employers have a considerable interest, of course we shall listen to employers' views. But the proposals which have been made up to now by the trade unions are the ones which seem to commend themselves to me 832 as a pattern for the advance of industrial democracy in this country.