HC Deb 02 February 1982 vol 17 cc119-20
9. Mr. Meacher

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what progress has been made in the introduction of industrial democracy since the Government took office.

Mr. Alison

We have extended private ownership through our measures for privatisation and ensured that employees in the enterprises concerned have been able to acquire shares on favourable terms.

Mr. Meacher

Is the Minister aware that, at the time when the Tory Party and the CBI were seeking to discredit the Bullock proposals, they laid great emphasis on their eagerness to advance industrial democracy through voluntary means? If that was not just a wrecking device, will the Minister tell us what progress has been made under voluntarism during the past three years, what specific encouragement the Government have given to companies to advance industrial democracy, and what record he has of the laggards? What does he now propose to do specifically to advance the process?

Mr. Alison

We are carefully monitoring the progress that is taking place. I note, for example, that over 80 per cent. of the company chief executives who recently took part in the CBI survey felt that employee involvement policies had brought tangible gains in performance. Progress is being made, and we shall continue to encourage it.

Mr. Needham

Does my right hon. Friend agree that what Lord Bullock did for industrial democracy caused as much damage as Attila the Hun caused to the Roman Empire?

Mr. Alison

"Yes" must be the best and most complete answer to my hon. Friend's question.

Mr. Radice

Does the Minister realise that the Government's reactionary attitude to this question means that they are way behind the rest of Western Europe, and that enlightened management is deeply disappointed about it? Does he accept that the Government would do a great service to industrial relations if they dropped their anti-union legislation and, instead, spent some time thinking about industrial democracy?

Mr. Alison

I do not think that we are way behind the rest of Europe. The EEC Commission has not yet finalised its current proposals, and we have to wait for them to know the real cumulative opinion in Europe.