§ Captain Kerbyasked the Secretary of State for Air what was the effective date for the coming into operation of the temporary Relaxation of Existing Customs Agreement between his Department and the Amalgamated Engineering Union, signed on 21st October, 1939; and when was the text of this agreement first incorporated in the published Conditions of Employment for Civilian Employees at Air Ministry Establishments.
§ Mr. BirchThe Agreement was applied to men who at the time it was signed were employed on work coming within its terms and whose industrial history did not entitle them to recognition as skilled craftsmen. The text of the Agreement was first published in the Regulations for Civilian Employees at Air Ministry Establishments in March, 1951.
§ Captain Kerbyasked the Secretary of State for Air what steps were taken to ensure that dilutee metal-working craftsmen had sufficient craft-ability before those who have been established in that grade were offered such establishment; and whether he is satisfied that the craft-ability thus exhibited is up to the normal standards of skill and ability required by his Department from ordinary skilled craftsmen.
§ Mr. BirchDilutees, like other industrial employees, are selected for establishment on the basis of seniority.
§ Captain Kerbyasked the Secretary of State for Air how many applications he has received from employees since 1st February, 1956, for the removal of such employees' names from the list of registered dilutees; how many of these have been granted; and what form of appeal to an impartial authority is open under his regulations to those not granted.
§ Mr. BirchNo central record is kept of applications for de-registration considered by the local joint committees set up under the Relaxation of Customs Agreement. None has been approved since the 1st February.
There is no provision in the Agreement for matters arising out of it to be referred to an outside body.
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§ Captain Kerbyasked the Secretary of State for Air if he is aware that numbers of his Department's employees, who are tenants of Departmentally owned or controlled dwelling houses, are liable to selective dismissal in the event of redundancy in the engineering trades, by virtue of their dilutee status, with the loss of their homes should these be required for the new employees replacing them; and if he will take steps to ensure that suitable alternative accommodation is made available to all such Air Ministry tenants who have ten or more years service with his Department.
§ Mr. BirchIf a man with long service under the Air Ministry, who was occupying one of these houses, should have to be discharged on rounds of redundancy, we would allow him time to find other accommodation. Should it be a difficult case, we would also take it up with the local housing authority.
§ Captain Kerbyasked the Secretary of State for Air if he will give details, in the case of the dilutee metal-working craftsman who has been longest employed by his Department in that capacity, of the date of his commencement on craft-work., his standard of skill as compared with non-dilutee craftsmen; and what steps this man can take under departmental regulations to secure recognition for himself as a fully skilled man.
§ Mr. BirchDetailed records of service of industrial employees are not maintained centrally. Any dilutee can apply for recognition as a fully skilled man if he can produce evidence of engineering skill which was not furnished to the relaxation committee at the time of registration.