Mr. William O'BrienTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will agree to meet the leaders of the stevedores working in the Belfast harbour to discuss the future of the Belfast harbour; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AtkinsI have no plans at present to meet the leaders of the stevedores working in the Belfast harbour.
Mr. William O'BrienTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he intends to meet the chairman and chief executive of the Belfast Harbour Commission to discuss industrial relations areas of the port; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AtkinsI have no plans at present to meet the chairman and chief executive of the Belfast Harbour Commission.
Mr. William O'BrienTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will ensure that the terms and conditions of the draft Ports (Northern Ireland) Order should include a clause giving working conditions for those people employed at the Belfast port equivalent to those at other United Kingdom ports; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AtkinsProvision has been made in the schedule to the draft Ports (Northern Ireland) Order relating to the transfer of employment rights and liabilities similar to that in the Ports Act 1991, which applies in the rest of the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will hold urgent discussions with the chief executive of Belfast Harbour Commissioners and Scruttons Ltd. (Stevedores), to examine the terms and conditions being imposed on the Transport and General Workers Union dock labour force at Belfast harbour; and if he will make a statement on his findings.
§ Mr. AtkinsTerms and conditions for the dock labour force in Belfast are at present being discussed by representatives of the employers and their prospective employees. It would not be appropriate for me to intervene in these matters.