HC Deb 19 October 1982 vol 29 cc211-2
1. Mr. Knox

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many days were lost in industrial disputes in the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available.

The Secretary of State for Employment (Mr. Norman Tebbit)

It is provisionally estimated that 6.9 million working days were lost through industrial disputes in the United Kingdom in the 12 months ended 31 August 1982.

Mr. Knox

Will my right hon. Friend confirm that that represents an improvement compared with most recent years and is a vindication of the step-by-step approach to industrial relations?

Mr. Tebbit

My hon. Friend is right. The average figure for the previous 10 years is 12.1 million days lost. One should take out the two entirely fruitless disputes in the public sector—1.2 million days lost in the railway dispute, which continued until the members overruled their union leaders and went back to work, and 2.7 million days lost in the NHS dispute, which will be entirely fruitless, as there will be no improved offer.

Mr. Harold Walker

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the best year recently was 1976? We lost fewer than 4 million working days' production when we did not have any of the legislation which is supposedly having such beneficial effects. If the present legislation is having such beneficial effects, what is the justification for further legislation during the next Session?

Mr. Tebbit

The right hon. Gentleman is selective in the figures that he quotes. If he looks at other years when his Government were in office, he will see that a different picture is presented. He omitted also to refer to the figures for stoppages in 1981, which was the best year for about 40 years.

Mr. Edwin Wainwright

Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that because of the attitude of his Department and the Government the trade union movement will be boiling with fury for a long time? Will he have discussions with the trade union movement to create better understanding and greater harmony between it and the Government instead of always wanting to fight it?

Mr. Tebbit

It is always open to trade union leaders to talk to me. We have offered to consult them on a number of matters, but they have chosen not to take advantage of that offer. The hon. Gentleman must not confuse the fury of the politicians who lead the trade unions with the attitudes of their members. That was the Labour Party's fatal mistake when it backed the ASLEF leadership when all the members were saying "To hell with the strike, let us get back to work".