§ Mr. Howeasked the Minister of Labour whether he will set out in the OFFICIAL REPORT figures in respect of each month in the last three years to show the extent to which there is any variation as between different times of the year in the number of stoppages in work and the number of working days lost due to industrial disputes connected with terms of employment or conditions of labour.
§ Mr. ThorntonThe following table gives the number of stoppages of work due to industrial disputes beginning in each month in each of the years 1963, 1964 and 1965 and the number of working days lost, at the establishments where the disputes occurred, through all stoppages in progress during the same months.
An estimate is made however of the time lost at establishments in the motor car industry as a result of stoppages at other establishments. In 1965 the estimated figure was 350,000 days lost. This figure compares with 869,000 days lost at establishments as a direct result of stoppages within the particular establishment.
§ Mr. Howeasked the Minister of Labour what estimate he has made of the number of working days lost, during the last year for which figures are available, by reason of stoppages of work due to industrial disputes whose effects are not recorded in the regularly published statistics because the disputes involved fewer than 10 workers or lasted less than one day.
§ Mr. ThorntonMy right hon. Friend does not make estimates of the number of days lost by reason of stoppages of work due to industrial disputes which are excluded from the published statistics 307W because the disputes involved fewer than 10 workers or lasted less than one day and the number of days lost was not more than 100. Stoppages involving less than 10 workers and those which last less than one day are included in the regularly published statistics if the number of days lost exceeds 100.
§ Mr. Howeasked the Minister of Labour why the number of working days lost through industrial disputes in 1964 is stated to be 2,030 thousand in Appendix XV to his department's evidence to the Royal Commission on Trade Unions and 2,277 thousand on page 24 of the latest issue of the Ministry of Labour Gazette.
§ Mr. ThorntonAppendix XV to the Ministry of Labour's evidence to the Royal Commission on Trade Unions and Employers' Associations gives the number of days lost in stoppages of work beginning in 1964, including days lost in 1965 in stoppages which began in 1964 and continued in 1965. The table on page 24 of the January, 1966, issue of the Ministry of Labour Gazette gives the number of days lost in 1964 in all stoppages in progress in 1964, including stoppages which began in 1963 and continued into 1964. Days lost in 1965 in stoppages which began in 1964 and continued into 1965 are not included.