§ 26. Mr. John Pageasked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the average numbers of new industrial disputes, resulting in stoppages, per working day during 1950 to 1958, 1959 to 1968, 1969, and during 1970 for the period for which figures are available.
§ Mr. BryanOn the basis of 255 working days in a year, the average numbers of new stoppages per working day outside the coal mining industry were 2.2 between 1950 and 1958, 5.4 between 1959 and 1968, 11.5 in 1969 and 15.8 up to 31st October, 1970. The figure for 1970 is provisional.
§ 27. Mr. Hollandasked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the number of strikes and the number of days lost through industrial disputes for the first 10 months of this year; and how these figures compare with those for the same periods in 1968 and 1969.
§ Mr. BryanThe number of stoppages of work due to industrial disputes which began in the first 10 months of 1970 was 3,491, and the number of working days lost in all stoppages in progress148W in the period was 8,828,000. These figures are provisional. Corresponding figures for the same periods in the preceding two years were 2,015 stoppages and 4,283,000 days lost in 1968, and 2,634 stoppages and 5,918,000 days lost in 1969.
§ 46 and 47. Mr. Percivalasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) whether he proposes to include in the official figures for industrial disputes published by his Department the days lost as the result of unofficial strikes called for 8th December;
(2) which strikes are not included in the official figures published by his Department; and what estimate he has made of damage done to the national economy by such strikes.
§ Mr. BryanThe official series of statistics relates to all except insignificant stoppages of work due solely to industrial disputes connected with terms and conditions of employment. Figures relating to sizeable non-industrial stoppages are publicised by my Department but are not included in this series. It is not possible to estimate with any degree of accuracy the damage done to the national economy by these strikes.
§ 49. Mr. Scottasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement on the action taken by his Department in relation to the unofficial strike called for 8th December in protest against Government industrial policies.
§ Mr. BryanThe Government have made clear that, while it respects the right of people to disagree with its proposals, it deplores the use of industrial action to bring pressure on it not to proceed with them. The House will have noted that the great majority of trade unionists did not join in the strike. No special action by my Department was called for in the circumstances.
§ Sir E. Brownasked the Secretary of State for Employment how the number of strikes during the first 10 months of 1970 compares with the number during the first 10 months of 1964.
§ Mr. BryanThe number of stoppages of work due to industrial disputes which began in the first 10 months of 1970 is 149W provisionally estimated at 3,491. This compares with 2,149 in the first 10 months of 1964.