§ Sir K. Joseph (by Private Notice) asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will make a statement about the steps being taken by the Post Office to ensure the collection and delivery of all the mail in the London NW2 postal area.
221§ The Secretary of State for Industry (Mr. Eric G. Varley)The Post Office tells me that it has closed the Cricklewood sorting office due to the suspension of staff. The Post Office has advised its customers that there will be no deliveries or collections in the London NW2 area until further notice, and that therefore mail should not be addressed there. Customers resident in, or who work in, the NW2 area have been advised to post their stamped mail elsewhere. The Post Office regrets the inconvenience to the public.
§ Sir K. JosephIn view of the statutory duty on the Post Office, why does not the Post Office keep the Cricklewood sorting office open and instruct other postmen to handle the NW2 post? Secondly, if the Post Office is unable or unwilling to carry out its statutory duty, will the Government remove its statutory monopoly?
§ Mr. VarleyI know that the right hon. Gentleman and, indeed, the whole House, would not want me or any of my colleagues to take action which would make the situation worse. In looking not only at he present dispute but also at he point raised specifically in the right hon. Gentleman's second question, one of the difficulties is that if we were to consider a derogation at this time it would, in our judgment, make more difficult the task of the court of inquiry and the solution of all the other matters now being considered. Our hope and our wish is that the dispute should be settled as quickly as possible.
It should not go unnoticed that the Union of Post Office Workers and Mr. Tom Jackson, in particular, are doing everything possible to bring about a resumption of normal services.
§ Mr. KinnockIs my right hon. Friend aware that the Conservatives are thoroughly enjoying the Grunwick dispute and all the difficulties which are a consequence of it? Is he aware that the Conservatives rush to any demonstration of the deep-seated problems manifested by this dispute like rats to offal? Will he give them notice that on the Government side there will be absolutely no retreat in the face of' the Conservatives' hysteria or their determined attempts to make electoral and political gains out of a fight for the basic rights of trade unionists?
§ Mr. VarleyMy hon. Friend's question goes much wider than the specific Question addressed to me by the right hon. Gentleman. It is the Government's view—expressed on more than one occasion by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment and my right hon. and learned Friend the AttorneyGeneral—that we want to see an end to the dispute as quickly as possible. We have been bending every effort and endeavour to see what we can do to assist.
§ Mr. Maurice MacmillanWill the Secretary of State acknowledge that obeying the law is a single matter? In echoing the Prime Minister's appeal to accept the judgment of the court, will he do something to ensure that the Post Office obeys the law and continues to deliver letters?
§ Mr. VarleyI think that the action of the Post Office so far, in carrying out its statutory duty in accordance with the 1953 Act and the 1969 Act, has been exemplary. It has taken action in accordance with the letter of the law. No doubt the right hon. Member for Leeds, North-East (Sir K. Joseph), who asked the Private Notice Question, has taken steps to question the Post Office about its actions.
§ Mr. PavittWill my right hon. Friend continue to use his common sense and not let this affair escalate? Will he, therefore, resist the advice of the right hon. Member for Leeds, North-East (Sir K. Joseph)?
Will my right hon. Friend at the same time recognise that the Post Office workers in Cricklewood, as in Willesden, will be only too pleased not only to restore services but to give added services once the dispute has finished and elementary rights have been achieved? Will he accept that the Post Office workers have an interest in increasing the employment at Grunwick, so that more jobs may be available, if only this initial problem can be solved?
§ Mr. VarleyI know that the Union of Post Office Workers is meeting at this very moment in order to see what additional advice it can give to its members in fulfilling the aims which have just been outlined by my hon. Friend.
§ Several Hon. Members rose—
§ Mr. SpeakerI propose to call one more hon. Member from each side.
§ Mr. GorstIs the Secretary of State aware that over 1,000 bags of backlog mail—all the mail which was not being accepted at Cricklewood—were posted last weekend? In view of this, and now that no more Grunwick mail is being held up, will he agree that the action of the Post Office workers at Cricklewood is completely irrelevant? Will he therefore urge them to go back to work?
Finally, will the right hon. Gentleman say whether any of the 100,000 items posted from areas as wide apart as Truro, Preston and East Anglia at the weekend are being held up at present?
§ Mr. VarleyI understand that the National Association of Freedom is claiming widespread posting of the firm's mail, that at some offices it is being handled normally, and that other staff are seeking advice from the Union of Post Office Workers. There would be those who would say that the fact that mail has been deliberately distributed in the way suggested by the hon. Gentleman —[Interruption.] I am not saying that it is unlawful but that there are those who would suggest that that in itself is a provocative act. [HON. MEMBERS: "0h."] I am only saying, Mr. Speaker, that the Government for their part are doing everything they can to try to bring about a peaceful solution to this dispute. They are trying to make sure that the mail is delivered in accordance with the statutory obligations as laid down by the Post Office. That is all we are trying to do, and the hon. Gentleman and others who share his view ought to take that into account.
§ Mr. MolloyIs my right hon. Friend aware that the involvement of the Post Office workers is a direct result of the manifestation of the stupid attitude of the Grunwick management? Will he further agree that it does not lie in the mouths of the right hon. and learned Member for Surrey, East (Sir G. Howe) and the right hon. Member for Lowestoft (Mr. Prior) to talk about joint negotiations, joint talks, and modernisation, as they did over the weekend, when they are not prepared to stand up and condemn a situation which has been created by 224 Grunwick essentially because the firm will not even talk—[Interruption.] Will my right hon. Friend agree that it does not lie in the mouths—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The hon. Gentleman made that point a few moments ago. Will he now conclude his question?
§ Mr. MolloyWill my right hon. Friend endeavour to tell Conservative Members that if they believe in joint discussions and joint negotiation they should condemn any dispute on the industrial front which is based on the fact that there has been no joint discussion whatsoever?
§ Mr. VarleyThe aim of the Government throughout has been to try to bring an end to the dispute. I can only say to my hon. Friend and to the rest of the House that Post Office workers are honest, decent chaps who want to get on with their work and to do their job. They feel very strongly about the dispute and want to give the service to the public that they can give. In the main, the Union of Post Office Workers has been bending every effort to see that mail is delivered not only in NW2 but right throughout the country. The hon. Member for Hendon, North (Mr. Gorst) and his hon. Friends should take that into account in any actions that they propose.
§ Sir K. JosephIs the right hon. Gentleman associating himself with the view that it is provocative for a firm to use its legal rights to post letters in in order to survive?
§ Mr. VarleyI am not saying that at all. The law is made to be observed. There is no doubt about that. I am not saying anything new or novel. The only thing I and my hon. Friends are saying is that the Union of Post Office Workers —and this is acknowledged—wants to see the delivery of mail resumed as quickly as possible. I ask all hon. Members in the House, particularly Conservative Members, to bear that in mind.