Industrial Disputes (Hansard, 29 January 1979)

§ 11. Mr. Neubert
asked the Secretary of State for Trade what effects he expects the current industrial dispute in the road haulage industry to have on exports in the short and longer term.

§ 12. Mr. Dykes
asked the Secretary of State for Trade what estimate he has been able to make of the amount in value of United Kingdom export trade lost as a result of the recent industrial disputes in the road haulage and related industries.

§ 18. Mr. Adley
asked the Secretary of State for Trade what steps he is taking to ensure that normal trade can continue during periods of economic stress as at present.

§ 20. Mr. Sims
asked the Secretary of State for Trade what assessment he has made of the effect of recent industrial disputes on the United Kingdom export trade.

§ Mr. John Smith
Exports to a very high value are being held up, though I cannot put a figure on the amount involved. If this were to continue the strikers could cause lasting damage to employment in the export industries. The damage can be limited if we can get goods 1014 moving freely in and out of the ports, and I am working with my colleagues to secure this.

§ Mr. Speaker
I propose to call first those hon. Members whose Questions are being answered.

§ Mr. Neubert
What action has the Secretary of State taken to impress upon the pickets the damage done by this industrial dispute to our trading prospects and to press the point that lost exports will inevitably mean lost jobs for British workers? Is it true that Russian ships are moving goods in and out of our ports while British ships remain strike-bound?

§ Mr. Smith
On the first point, the Government have asked the unions concerned, the Transport and General Workers' Union and the URTU, to remind the drivers concerned that under the terms of the code, a great deal of the goods that go through the ports should be allowed through.
On the second point, I saw this allegation made by a member of the Opposition and reported in the Press yesterday. I have had extensive investigations made all day today to try to discover whether there was any truth in it. I have not been able to discover any. I hope that hon. Gentlemen who make accusations of this sort will give the evidence to back them instead of making a generalised smear.

§ Mr. Dykes
In order that we can be clear of the dangers and magnitude of the problem, even though he does not have a value figure, will the Secretary of State say precisely what proportion of exports in the last three weeks have not moved from the ports as a proportion of the total due to this strike?

§ Mr. Smith
We have been assessing information of this kind, but it is difficult to give a general answer because the situation varies from port to port. For example, one method of investigation is to assess the drop in certificates of origin issued by chambers of commerce. In some cases, we know that it is one-third. In other cases, it appears to be both higher and lower than that figure. The hon. Gentleman raises an important point, but it is impossible to give a general and accurate figure.

§ Mr. Adley
Is not the Secretary of State aware of the widespread disgust felt by millions of people over the wide-spread picketing they see on our television screens—

§ Mr. Heffer
Get out.

§ Mr. Adley
It is no good the hon. Gentleman saying "Get out". It is true. Those feelings amount almost to despair because the Government seem not only unable but also unwilling and disinterested in doing anything about it. Will the right hon. Gentleman pass on from many of my constituents a message to the Prime Minister—"For God's sake, go,"?

§ Mr. Smith
The hon. Gentleman's contribution is up to the usual level that he displays on these matters. We should all try so to conduct our affairs that we bring this dispute to an early conclusion. I do not think that the hon. Gentleman has helped us to do that.

§ Mr. Sims
If the right hon. Gentleman's figure of a fall by one-third in export deliveries is anywhere near the truth, does he admit that this is extremely serious in the short term and long term implications for contracts in British industry? Will he use his influence to persuade the trade unions to include export goods among those categories allowed through without hindrance?

§ Mr. Smith
The hon. Gentleman may not have caught precisely what I said in an earlier answer. The Government are extremely concerned about the position. Obviously there is a longer term as well as a short-term aspect of the failure of exports to reach thier destinations. We are acutely aware of that fact and are concerned about the position. We are taking what steps we can to remind those concerned of the value of exports.

§ Mr. Ronald Atkins
Will my right hon. Friend avoid the exaggerations of Conservative Members and their business friends who estimated that there would be 1 million lay-offs last week compared with the actual figure of 200,000?

§ Mr. Smith
I am concerned neither to exaggerate nor to under-estimate the effects but to state the accurate position. I have been trying to do that in my answers today.

§ Mr. Higgins
Does the Secretary of State agree that the postal services have an important role to play in exports? Is he aware of a notice in the House of Commons post office to the effect that the situation in the docks has stopped overseas mail going through them? Will he ask the Secretary of State for Industry to give a direction that an injunction should be taken out to prevent this if it is due to secondary picketing?

§ Mr. Smith
That is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry, who will no doubt note what the hon. Gentleman has said.

§ Mr. Kenneth Lewis
Will the right hon. Gentleman state what will be the cost to the Exchequer through claims on ECGD, which could run into hundreds of millions of pounds?

§ Mr. Smith
I cannot give that information off the cuff. I do not carry it in my head. If the hon. Gentleman puts down a Question, I will look into the matter to see whether any answer can be given.

§ Mr. Marten
Does the Secretary of State agree that one of the basic causes of the road haulage strike is the threat of the drivers losing hours and earnings due to the EEC regulations?

§ Mr. Smith
I do not think it would be wise for me to be drawn into the merits of this dispute. As the Minister with primary responsibility for exports, my major concern is to see that it is settled as soon as possible so that exports can move again.

§ Mr. Nott
Does the right hon. Gentleman consider that this is effectively the worst blockade of our ports since the war? In view of the Christmas and new year holidays, even if there is a settlement today, it will have gone on longer than any other strike affecting our ports since the war. As Secretary of State for Trade with responsibility for these matters, will he say clearly and specifically whether he welcomes the injunction that has been granted in the courts to restrain secondary picketing at the docks? Is he pleased about that? Does he think it will help?

§ Mr. Heffer
It applies to one man.

§ Mr. Smith
I dónot think it is helpful in the present dispute to consider how it ranks with others in this country since the war. Our major concern is to ensure that we get our exports moving again. On the second question, I have not had an opportunity to study the judgment. I am busy at the Department of Trade.