§ Mr. Frank Dobson (Holborn and St. Pancras)I beg to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House, under Standing Order No. 10, for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration, namely,
the actions of News International in the current industrial dispute, which have resulted in pensions and other benefits not being paid to retired members of SOGAT '82".This is a specific matter, because it refers to several retired members of SOGAT '82 and others entitled to benefits provided by that trade union, including an 80–year-old constituent of mine. He, like 1,500 pensioners, should receive payments from the London central branch of SOGAT '82. As a result of the court action brought by the American owners of News International, the sequestrator blocked their pension payments and the payments of pensions to SOGAT '82 pensioners from other branches of the union. He has also blocked payments of lump sums to 120 members of the branch who retired recently. The matter is important for them and their families. It is also important because it reveals how the Government's industrial relations policies are being exploited in every possible way by ruthless employers who in their pursuit of profits do not flinch from harming innocent pensioners. In the words used by the hon. Member for Devizes (Mr. Morrison) earlier, it is mean-minded and parsimonious.The matter is urgent not just because the pensioners need the money but because the sequestrator stopped payments of funeral benefit to 60 widows of SOGAT '82 members. It is an urgent matter that merits consideration.
330 Therefore I hope, Mr. Speaker, that you will see your way to allowing the matter to be debated.
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson) asks leave to move the Adjournment of the House for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that he believes should have urgent consideration, namely,
the actions of News International in the current industrial dispute, which have resulted in pensions and other benefits not being paid to retired members of SOGAT '82".I regret that I have to give the hon. Gentleman the same answer as I gave to the hon. Member for Norwood (Mr. Fraser). I cannot submit his application to the House, but I hope that he will find other ways of bringing the matter before us.