§ 37. Mr. Speedasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if she will list the number of stoppages and days lost due to industrial disputes, including and excluding mining, for the eight months since June, 1969 and for the eight months up to and including June, 1969; and if she will state the percentage increases of the latter period over the earlier period.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerThe total number of stoppages of work due to industrial disputes in the United Kingdom which began in the period July, 1969 to February, 1970 was 2,187. Working days lost in all stoppages in progress in the same period totalled 5,291,000. Excluding mining and quarrying the corresponding figures were 2,086 stoppages and 4,285,000 days lost. For the period November, 1968 to June, 1969, 461W the total figures were 1,851 stoppages and 3,064,000 days lost, and excluding mining and quarrying, 1,700 stoppages and 3,014,000 days lost. Including and excluding mining and quarrying respectively, the later figures represent increases of 18 per cent. and 23 per cent. for numbers of stoppages and 73 per cent. and 42 per cent. for numbers of working days lost. All the figures quoted are provisional.
§ 38. Mr. Speedasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity
STOPPAGES OF WORK DUE TO INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES United Kingdom Stoppages beginning in period Working days lost in all stoppages in progress in period Total Excluding mining and quarrying Total Excluding mining and quarrying January—February, 1970* … 654 632 1,179,000 1,175,000 January—February, 1969 … 457 421 797,000 785,000 January—February, 1968 … 338 308 425,000 417,000 January—February, 1967 … 375 292 304,000 289,000 January—February, 1966 … 399 289 332,000 302,000 January—February, 1965 … 447 296 495,000 446,000 January—February, 1964 … 405 238 559,000 482,000 January—February, 1963 … 293 130 109,000 76,000 January—February, 1962 … 466 235 2,055,000 2,005,000 January—February, 1961 … 492 237 622,000 357,000 January—February, 1960 … 501 229 443,000 367,000 January—February, 1959 … 352 148 241,000 190,000 * Provisional.
§ 39. Sir F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many working days were lost to industry through unofficial strikes during February, 1970.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerSeparate estimates are available only for stoppages known to be official. The great majority of the remainder would have been unofficial. The provisional total for February, 1970, of working days lost in the United Kingdom in all stoppages in progress is 744,000, of which 43,000 were lost in stoppages known to be official.
§ Mr. Speedasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what was the total number of stoppages due to industrial disputes, excluding mining, for the periods from October, 1951 to September, 1964, inclusive, and from October, 1964 to February, 1970, inclusive, respectively.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerIn the period October, 1951 to September, 1964 there were 10,660 stoppages of work in the United Kingdom due to industrial disputes in industries other than mining and
462Wif she will list the number of stoppages and days lost due to industrial disputes, including and excluding mining, from 1st January, 1970 to the latest convenient date, giving comparable figures for the same period for each year since 1959.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerAs the answer consists of a table of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT:
Following is the information:
quarrying; in the period October, 1964 to February, 1970 the corresponding figure was 10,686.
§ Mr. Lomasasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity if the figures published by her Department of days lost due to strikes include time lost as a result of people being laid off although not directly participating in the strike.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerMy Department's published statistics of working days lost due to industrial disputes include time lost by workers both directly and indirectly involved, the latter being those thrown out of work at the establishments where the disputes occurred although not themselves parties to the disputes. The figures exclude any loss of time, for example through shortages of material, which may be caused at other establishments by the stoppages which are included in the statistics. Information is, however, available about a number of instances of such repercussions in the motor vehicle industry. This definition of coverage, which applies in most other countries 463W also, is set out regularly in the Employment and Productivity Gazette, most recently on page 437 of the May, 1969 issue.