§ 1. Sir G. Nabarroasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity why days lost due to industrial disputes have increased from 2.925 million in 1965 to 4.692 million in 1968; and what steps she is taking to reverse these trends and the evil consequences to exports.
§ 71. Sir C. Osborneasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what steps she is taking to reduce the 4,600,000 working days lost through strikes in Great Britain in 1968, which was the highest since 1962, to the level of the 25,000 working days lost in West Germany, in the same year.
§ Mr. HattersleyIndustrial disputes arise essentially from defects in collective bargaining procedures, agreements and institutions. Their reform is a key feature of the Government's proposals in the recent White Paper "In Place of Strife".
§ 66. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity in which years since 1955 has the number of working days lost due to industrial disputes exceeded 4 million; to what extent the increased loss is due to the growth of unofficial strikes; and what steps she intends to take in the future to reverse this trend.
§ Mr. HattersleySince 1955 the number of working days lost exceeded 4 million in each of the years 1957, 1959, 1962 and 1968. The figures for each of these years included substantial losses caused by official strikes involving large numbers of employees. The general increase since 1960 in the number of stoppages in industries other than coalmining has been almost entirely due to unofficial strikes, which have accounted for a consistently high percentage of stoppages and, except in 1962 and 1966, for the great majority of days lost. The Government's proposals for the reform and improvement of industrial relations are set out in the White Paper "In Place of Strife".