§ 3.45 p.m.
§ VISCOUNT ADDISONMy Lords, perhaps, with your Lordships' permission I may intervene for one moment before the next Motion is tabled, in order that I might in this House make a statement which the Minister of Fuel and Power is now making in another place, and which I think your Lordships should have at the earliest possible moment. I will give it in the Minister's own words:
"The Government have reached the conclusion that to get the coal needed for our expanding industrial production and domestic consumption over the next few years it is essential that more boys and men should voluntarily enter the coalmining industry than has been the case in recent years. I have accordingly been considering what steps can be taken to attract additional recruits and, in particular, the proposals made to that end by the National Union of Mineworkers in the Miners' Charter.
Certain items in the Charter cover the reorganization of the industry together with better provision for training, health and safety, and action upon many of these is already being taken. There are also other proposals of which the most important is that for a five-day week. This has always been regarded as a specially desirable reform for the coal-mining industry in view of the conditions under which miners work. An organized five-day week is also widely regarded by mining engineers as desirable for the efficient working of modern mechanized mining. Normally this would have been for consideration by the industry through the established conciliation machinery.
It is clear that the present owners could at be expected to undertake the responsibility 1172 for negotiations with the Union on a major issue of this kind on which any agreement reached must have far reaching effects on the future working of the industry for which they will bear no direct responsibility. Nor are the members-designate of the National Coal Board, which has not been and cannot yet be legally constituted as such and has not yet the necessary staff, in a position to embark on such negotiations. On the other hand, in the Government's view an early announcement on this issue is essential.
Accordingly I take this opportunity of announcing that the Government offer no objection in principle, provided that arrangements and conditions can be established with the full co-operation of the miners, to an organized five-day week of a kind which will secure the output of coal which is necessary to meet the country's needs. It is vital to attract more recruits to the industry to secure the coal supplies which we shall need over the next few years. It is equally vital to produce as much coal as possible for the country's immediate requirements. While the Government offer no objection to the proposal in principle provided there is acceptance of the conditions which will secure the necessary output, the working out of the scheme in detail, including the date of application, is a matter to be undertaken within the industry itself, and will proceed as soon as the Coal Industry Nationalisation Bill becomes law and the National Coal Board is constituted.
The Miners' Charter also contained proposals for an additional week's holiday with pay and payment for the six statutory and customary holidays. The Government cannot support the proposal for an additional week's holiday in addition to that for a five-day week which, when it became operative, would generally represent one day off each week. The suggestion that payment should be made for the six statutory and customary holidays is on a different footing, provided payment for the holiday is made conditional on full attendance during the week in which it falls. As however it would involve payment being made before the constitution of the National Coal Board, I have been in touch with the Mining Association and at my request they have agreed to enter into discussions with representatives of the National Union through the established conciliation machinery of the industry with a view to agreement being reached in regard to the 1173 method and amount of such holiday payments in time for the first payment to be made in respect of the Bank Holiday falling on 5th August.
§ 3.49 p.m.
VISCOUNT CRANBORNEMy Lords, I would like to thank the noble Viscount, the Leader of the House, for his statement to us. Obviously it is very important and very far-reaching and it will require consideration by your Lordships. I do not propose to make any comment on it, except to say that I think we all hope that it will produce the results which the Government expect. The one thing which is important at the present moment is to increase the output of coal and certainly if it does that no one will be in disagreement with it. Indeed the general aim of shortening hours, if it does not involve a lower output, is one which all of us would support, and in any case is one which we shall be able to judge by results.