§ 35. Mr. Biffenasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many disputes there have been in the motor industry during the year to date; what are the numbers of men involved and working hours lost; and in how many disputes the conciliation procedures of the Trades Union Congress were employed.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerSixty-seven stoppages of work due to industrial disputes in motor vehicle manufacturing have been brought to the notice of my Department as beginning in January and February, 1970. All stoppages in progress in the industry during those months involved 45,300 workers and accounted for the loss of 143,000 working days at the establishments where the disputes occurred. These figures are provisional. I understand that the T.U.C. kept in close touch with developments on the major disputes but as the unions concerned were taking energetic steps to secure a resumption of work it did not consider that its intervention would be appropriate.