Sir J. D. REESasked the Minister of Labour whether the Government will allow Joint Industrial Councils the same opportunity of fixing fair prices as is given to Trade Boards by conferring compulsory powers upon such councils; and, if not, why not?
§ Sir M. BARLOWThe Trade Boards are statutory bodies empowered to fix minimum rates of wages, which are legally enforceable. I presume that the question relates to proposals to extend legal enforcement to the voluntary wages agreements reached by Joint Industrial Councils. On this subject, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my predecessor on 8th March, 1920, to my hon. Friend the Member for Walthamstow, West (Mr. Jesson), of which I am2040W sending him a copy. Unlike Trade Boards, which are statutory bodies established in trades where no adequate machinery exists for the effective regulation of wages, Joint Industrial Councils are bodies voluntarily formed by the organisations concerned in trades deemed to be sufficiently well organised to regulate their own conditions. The proposal for legislation to make Joint Industrial Council agreements compulsory throughout an industry appears to require a greater measure of agreement by employers' and workers' organisations generally than has yet been signified.