HC Deb 17 June 1947 vol 438 cc194-6W
Mr. Mikardo

asked the Secretary of State for War what steps have been taken to obtain recognition by the trade unions concerned of trade qualifications acquired by soldiers while serving, so that on leaving the Service they may be able to find civilian employment in their trades.

Mr. Bellenger

The recognition of Service tradesmen for admission as skilled men into industry on leaving the Services means that the trade unions concerned, after due consideration of the nature of the Army trades under review, agree to accept the tradesmen as members. Such men are therefore recognised as being as equally skilled as their civilian counterparts in industry. It also means that the soldier tradesmen concerned are eligible to apply for, and to be admitted to, trade union membership shortly before leaving the Service, should they so desire.

The recognised soldier tradesman is therefore not debarred from the advantage of trade union membership in civil life.

The following agreements have so far been negotiated:

(a) Regular Army tradesmen trained under normal peace conditions Agreement was reached between the War Office and the Amalgamated Engineering Union in 1939, and with the Electrical Trades Union in 1946, whereby Regular Army tradesmen belonging to 29 mechanical engineering trades and all the Army electrical trades are to be recognised as skilled men in industry. In these cases, a proviso was made that such men must have been trained in these trades before the outbreak of hostilities in 1939. Later, in January and February of this year, a further agreement was reached with the Amalgamated Engineering Union for the recognition of all Regular Army tradesmen trained and mustered in the mechanical trades at the seven main Army training establishments, including the new Apprentice Tradesmen's School at Arborfield. This recognition embraces not only those who have been trained, but all who will pass through these establishments in the future.

(b) Army tradesmen serving on Regular or Emergency engagements who received their training on an "emergency" basis during hostilities. Agreements have been reached with the Amalgamated Engineering Union, the Confederation of Engineering and Shipbuilding Unions and the Electrical Trades Union, for the recognition of 44 Army trades in mechanical, electrical and wood-working trades.

The agreements already negotiated therefore cover practically all the Army mechanical and electrical engineering trades.

To deal with the many groups and classes of Service trades which have not already been catered for, it has been decided between the three Service Departments to continue negotiations for the recognition of further Regular tradesmen by setting up an Inter-Services Committee. This Committee held its first meeting in February, 1947, when it was decided to compile lists of those Service trades for both men and women which had not already been recognised; and then to co-ordinate them between the three Service Departments and the Ministry of Labour and National Service. The Trades Unions would then be approached on an Inter-Service basis with a view to obtaining recognition of as many of these trades as possible. It will be appreciated that the task is a large one, as nearly Zoo Army trades alone, representing a great number of civilian occupations and trade unions, remain to be dealt with.

The Service Departments have completed their lists, and I expect that negotiations with the trade unions will begin in the near future.

Where an Army trade has been recognised, serving soldiers are notified through Army Council Instructions, and Resettlement Bulletins. At the same time, the Ministry of Labour and National Service pass on the information to all Exchange and Branch managers. Similarly, the Engineering and Allied Employers Federation inform all its District Associations and all member firms of the Federation, whilst the trade unions concerned notify all Branch Secretaries.

I attach the greatest importance to these negotiations, and I am very grateful to both sides of industry for the co-operation they have shown in helping to ensure the resettlement of the Regular soldier.