§ Mr. Roy Hughesasked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the increasing level of unemployment in the country, he will take steps to ensure that, where employers find it necessary to adjust their labour requirements, arrangements are made to transfer employees to other suitable employment before they become unemployed.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsOur employment services do their best to ensure that redundant workers are placed in new jobs without an intervening period of unemployment, but this is not always practicable.
§ Mr. Roy Hughesasked the Minister of Labour if he will seek to amend the Contracts of Employment Act 1963 and/or the Redundancy Payments Act, 1965 to ensure that employers give their employees three months' advance notice of any contemplated change in labour requirements.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsNo, we do not think it would be appropriate to use the Contracts of Employment Act or the Redundancy Payments Act to impose a statutory obligation of this kind on employers.