§ Mr. Wrigglesworthasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement about the dispute in Gibraltar between United Kingdom Government locally-entered staff in his Department and Her Majesty's Government;
(2) if he will investigate the circumstances in which members of the CPSA have been locked-out of their employment in his Department in Gibraltar;
(3) if he considers the level of pay for CPSA members employed in his Department in Gibraltar remains adequate, in the light of the recent offer made to their staff by the Gibraltar Government;
(4) if he will end the lock-out of CPSA staff in his Department in Gibraltar pending negotiations to resolve the dispute.
§ Dr. GilbertThe locally-entered members of the Civil and Public Services Association (CPSA) employed by the Ministry of Defence in Gibraltar are in dispute with the Department over a pay claim which seeks to reopen an agreement reached as recently as April 1976. The staff concerned have been taking industrial action in support of their claim for the past six weeks. On 21st October they were informed that, unless they resumed normal working within 24 hours, they would be taken off pay. When they reported at their place of work on 25th October they were invited to give an undertaking that they would resume normal working. The majority of the staff involved in the dispute refused to give such an undertaking and were requested to leave official premises and were taken off pay. They were informed that their pay would recommence as soon as they resumed normal working. A senior official of the Department has gone to Gibraltar to make an assessment of the situation, including the effect of the recent offer made to their staff by the Gibraltar Government, and will report his findings on his return.