Closed Shop (Hansard, 2 February 1982)

§ 1. Mr. Dover
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received on his trade union reform proposals on the closed shop.

§ The Secretary of State for Employment (Mr. Norman Tebbit)
During the recent consultation period I received about 130 representations on the Government's proposals for changes in the law on the closed shop. A substantial majority of these endorsed the need to provide greater protection for individual liberties in the closed shop and in general welcomed the proposals. I have, however, made a number of changes to the proposals in the light of the representations received.

§ Mr. Dover
Will the Minister confirm that several individuals and organisations prevailed on him to try to give freedom to belong or not to belong to a trade union? If there is an overwhelming vote against the continuance of closed shops, will the Minister try to take measures to terminate them forthwith?

§ Mr. Tebbit
I understand the feelings of my hon. Friend and many others on the matter. However, it is right, at this stage, to proceed by making it possible for those injured by the operation of closed shops to receive compensation rather than, head-on, to attempt to make unlawful a practice that has been lawful for a long time.

§ Mr. Greville Janner
Does the Minister accept that his attempt to restrict the effects of the closed shop has no possibility of success, not merely because the unions object to it so fiercely, but because the vast majority of managers who work with closed shops much prefer to do so?

§ Mr. Tebbit
No, Sir.

§ Mr. Robert Atkins
Does my right hon. Friend accept that whilst there may have been some difference of interpretation by Conservative trade unionists, broadly speaking they support the principles of what he is trying to do and are greatly encouraged by the substance of his recent White Paper?

§ Mr. Tebbit
My hon. Friend is right. I regret that other trade union organisations have not been so constructive and willing to discuss the detail of the Bill. The changes to the limits of compensation that could be awarded against trade unions were made at the particular request of Conservative Trade Unionists.

§ Mr. Cyril Smith
Will the right hon. Gentleman give us a further indication of his thinking on this matter, particularly on that part of the Bill concerning registering a closed shop after a five to seven-year period, with a percentage vote of members and so on? As the right hon. Gentleman voted against that in 1980, when some of us voted for it, what has changed his mind between now and then?

§ Mr. Tebbit
My Bill contains no proposal for re-registering a closed shop. There is no requirement to register one.

§ Mr. Varley
Is the Secretary of State aware that the mis-named Employment Bill will not create one extra job or prevent one redundancy? On the contrary, it is likely to create a good deal of conflict in industry and do nothing to restore economic health. Why does the right hon. Gentleman not concentrate on what he was appointed to do—to create jobs rather than to introduce punishing legislation that will do a great deal of damage?

§ Mr. Tebbit
To some extent I understand the right hon. Gentleman's feelings about the title of the Bill. Perhaps it would have been more appropriate to have called it the workers' rights Bill, but I was persuaded that it would be better to retain the same title as previous employment measures for ease of identification.
All my energies are dedicated towards increasing the number of viable jobs open to men and women. That is why I strongly support the financial strategy of my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor, which is designed to reduce inflation, increase the competitiveness of British industry and recapture jobs that have been lost.