§ Mr. Awberyasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why the Colonial Secretary in Singapore refused to meet the representatives of the seven Government employees industrial unions which had formed themselves into a council of action to discuss a joint application of the unions for an increase in the wages of the lower paid industrial workers; and why he afterwards agreed to meet the unions separately.
§ Mr. LytteltonThe council of action is anad hoc body without legal status; it is not confined to the grades of employees whose pay is under negotiation and is not accountable to the individual employees concerned. The Government considered that they should negotiate direct with the properly constituted trade unions and are now negotiating jointly with the representatives of all the seven unions concerned.