HC Deb 06 April 1943 vol 388 cc512-4W
Mr. David Adams

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that decisions of the Labour Advisory Board of Sierra Leone have, in certain cases, been ignored or repeatedly broken by employers, against which the worker has no redress owing to lack of coercive legislation; and whether he will cause this to be enacted?

Colonel Stanley

As explained in my answer to the immediately following Question the functions of the Board are advisory and not executive. I have no knowledge of any breaches by employers of directions which may have been given by the Sierra Leone government to give effect to recommendations made by the Labour Advisory Board, but if my hon. Friend is in a position to supply me with specific instances of this I will make inquiry of the governor.

Mr. Adams

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that the Labour Advisory Board of Sierra Leone is composed of nine employers and five trade union officials appointed by the Government; and whether, as there is no appeal against its findings, he will recommend a board of workers and employers of equal numbers whose labour representatives are recommended by the trade unions and thus remove a source of discontent?

Colonel Stanley

The Labour Advisory Board of Sierra Leone has recently been reconstituted and now consists of the following persons:

Chairman.—Major R. Macdonald, O.B.E., M.C. (Auditor).

Representative of the Services.—Brigadier R. Briggs, D.S.O., M.C. (Director of Service Works).

Representatives of Private Employers—

Mr. E. T. Wheeler (Agent, Messrs. Elder Dempster Lines, Limited).

Mr. A. M. Cleghorn (General Manager, Messrs. Sierra Leone Development Company, Limited).

Mr. E. Crompton (Agent, Sierra Leone Coaling Company, Limited).

Mr. C. J. Kempson, B.L. (Secretary to the Chamber of Commerce).

Representatives of Employees—

Mr. T. S. Johnson (President, Railway Workers' Union).

Mr. C. V. Jarrett (Secretary, All Seaman's Union).

Mr. J. J. Johnson (Sierra Leone Masons' Union).

Mr. J. U. Williams (Mining Employees' Union).

The Honourable Mr. Otto I. E. During, B.L. (Unofficial Member of Legislative Council)

Secretary.—Mr. H. A. Nisbet (Commissioner of Labour).

It will therefore be seen that the Board includes five representatives of the employees (including four representatives of the Trade Unions), a representative of the Services and four representatives of private employers. As in the case of other Colonial boards of this nature the functions of the Board are advisory and not executive and the decision as to the measure of effect to be given to any re- commendations made by it rests with the Sierra Leone Government.