HC Deb 24 July 1978 vol 954 cc613-4W
Mr. Banks

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the procedure adopted in seeking to resolve the strike of members of the Transport and General Workers Union at Her Majesty's establishments at Rosyth and Faslane.

Mr. Mulley

The industrial action being taken by members of the Transport and General Workers' Union is part of a more general action by trades unions of the Industrial Civil Service over their 1978 pay settlement. The negotiating body for pay of the Industrial Civil Service is the Joint Co-ordinating Committee for Government Industrial Establishments. The Official Side of that committee remains willing to discuss with the Trades Union Side any alternative to the offer already made which remains within Government pay policy.

Mr. Banks

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the number of days per head for which pay has been forfeited because of union action in support of a pay claim by workers at Rosyth and Faslane dockyards.

Mr. Mulley

At Rosyth up to 800 men have participated in a number of short stoppages. The accumulated forfeiture of

sum underspent in the defence budget in each year since 1970–71 to date; what was the consequent true expenditure, expressed as a percentage of gross national product; and how this compares with the planned percentage.

Mr. Mulley

The table below sets out the level of Defence Estimates and actual expenditure on the defence budget to the latest available date, both at 1977 survey prices and expressed as a percentage of gross domestic product at market prices:

pay for these men averages one day's pay per head. The remainder of the Rosyth work force has not forfeited any pay. At Faslane the majority of the work force has forfeited one day's pay.

Mr. Banks

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the number of workers on strike at Rosyth and Faslane Dockyards and the number who are not on strike.

Mr. Mulley

There are no workers on strike at either establishment, although there has been some short stoppages. The industrial work force at Rosyth naval base numbers approximately 6,000 and at Faslane approximately 1,100.