Closed Shop Agreements (Hansard, 19 October 1976)

§ 6. Mr. Gow
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many employees in the public sector and how many in the private sector are covered by closed shop agreements or arrangements, existing or proposed: and whether he will make a statement about Government policy towards the closed shop.

§ Mr. Harold Walker
Information about numbers covered by closed shop agreements is not available. The Government maintain a neutral policy towards the closed shop. It is entirely up to employers and unions to decide whether or not they wish to operate a closed shop in any particular case.

§ Mr. Gow
Though the figures for those covered by a closed shop may not be available to the Government, is the Minister aware that it is perfectly clear that more and more people in this country are covered by closed shop agreements? Is he further aware that it is becoming a precondition of employment that those who wish to work must be members of a union? What advice does the Minister have for British Rail concerning its policy of a closed shop?

§ Mr. Walker
As the lion. Member has been told several times, this matter is one for the employer and the union—in this case the employer being British Rail. There have been problems over some of the employees who were dismissed in respect of the payment of unemployment benefit and their disqualification from receiving it. I understand that the cases are currently subject to possible appeal and I therefore hope that the hon. Gentleman will not press me about them.

§ Mr. Brittan
Does the Minister agree that however satisfactory he may find it to wash his hands of responsibility for the closed shop generally and to refuse to give advice or a view on it, he cannot do that in the public sector? There, at least, he must take responsibility to prevent individuals being deprived of their livelihoods because they do not wish to join a trade union.

§ Mr. Walker
I am not sure whether the hon. Gentleman is, in effect, calling for a ban on the closed shop. Those who say that we should ban the closed shop are saying that we should sweep the problem under the carpet, if I may use words which may be familiar to the right hon. Member for Lowestoft (Mr. Prior) from his recent conference. The Opposition should make up their minds where they stand on this issue.

§ Mr. Hayhoe
That sort of simple political propaganda does not constitute a satisfactory reply. Does the hon. Gentleman realise that the Government's so- 1102 called neutrality on the closed shop means that they are attempting to act as a disinterested onlooker while the freedom of the Press is being increasingly threatened and while people who have worked for a long time in the public sector are having their individual liberty curtailed?

§ Mr. Walker
I think I am gradually beginning to understand the Opposition's position on the closed shop. They are not against the closed shop so long as no one practises it.