§ 4.0 p.m.
§ LORD MILLSMy Lords, may I have your Lordships' permission to intervene in the debate to answer the Question which the noble Viscount the Leader of the Opposition put to Her Majesty's Government earlier this afternoon? The statement I am about to make corresponds with one which has just been made by my right honourable friend the Minister of Labour in another place, and is as follows.
My right honourable friend the Minister of Labour has personally satisfied himself that the London Dock Labour Board was entirely within its rights in permitting the use of listed labour, and it appears to be the fact that the strikers themselves accept this. At the same time, given the resumption of normal work, there is nothing to prevent 1082 the men from raising through their union any objection with the Board, including their wish for a further investigation of their complaint about Lower Oliver's wharf. We are informed that this is the advice the men have been given by their union.
It is understood that the immediate reason for the stoppage—that is, the use of listed men at Lower Oliver's wharf—has disappeared for the time being, as no unloading work is taking place there at present: in fact the work involved is only two days in each month, or occasionally in each three weeks. In the interest of the country, the men, and the future of the Port of London, the Government would therefore urge the strikers to return to work at once and take up the matter through constitutional channels.
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, I am obliged to the noble Lord for that Answer. I think that to make any comment on it now might injure the course of negotiations; and obviously we wish success to the negotiations.