§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he has considered the various employment proposals in the Lucas Aerospace combine shop stewards' committee corporate plan as they relate to increasing de-skilling and fragmentation of work in that industry; and whether his Department is considering the matter of changing job structure in industry and commerce as a whole with its subsequent labour market and training implications.
§ Mr. GoldingI am advised that the plan draws attention to de-skilled and fragmentation of work as a result of increasing automation and proposes job re-design to counter this; my Department's work research unit is concerned with the fields of job re-design and job enrichment and has given advice on these matters to organisations when asked to do so by management and workforce. More generally my Department and the Manpower Services Commission continually consider the implications for manpower policies of changing job-structures in industry and commerce.
§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) whether, in the forthcoming Government proposals on industrial democracy, the work of the Lucas Aerospace combine shop stewards' committee will be supported as a practical and positive illustration of the meaning of industrial democracy.
(2) whether the corporate plan proposals of the Lucas Aerospace combine shop stewards committee are in accord 33W with the Government's industrial democracy proposals.
§ Mr. BoothIn view of the Government's intention to publish a White Paper in the near future it would be inappropriate for me to comment in detail at this time on the views of the Lucas Aerospace combine shop stewards committee. However, in framing their own proposals the Government are seeking to provide the maximum flexibility for the voluntary development of employee participation.
§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he is aware of the relocation plans of the Lucas Aerospace management for its workers involved in the various factory closures.
§ Mr. BoothI am aware that the Lucas Aerospace management has announced plans involving re-location of work between its various factories, and that it is discussing these plans with representatives of the workforce.
§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for Employment what representations have been made by his Department to the management of Lucas Aerospace, bearing in mind that that company has now announced a further 2,000 redundancies, reducing its work force from 18,000 in 1970 to 10,000 in 1978.
§ Mr. BoothI understand that officials of the Department of Industry, the sponsor Department, are discussing with Lucas management the range of financial incentives which are available to maintain employment in the assisted areas, where the reductions in employment currently proposed by the company are to be concentrated. My Department has not made any separate representations to the management of Lucas Aerospace.