HC Deb 17 February 1971 vol 811 cc510-1W
Mr. Sillars

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, of the agreements notified to his Department by 265 companies, 18 nationalised industries and 48 local authorities, how many involve the acceptance of an agency or union shop; and, of these, how many provide for workers in the establishments covered by the agreement to requisition a ballot with a view to terminating the existence of the agency or union shop.

Mr. Bryan

A preliminary examination has so far been made of 172 of the agreements and arrangements notified to my Department. In 34 it is stated that trade union membership is a condition of employment. Information about arrangements to terminate the existence of these provisions is not available.

Mr. Sillars

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many of the procedure agreements notified to his Department by 265 companies, 18 nationalised industries and 48 local authorities he intends to refer to the Industrial Court under Clause 35(1) of the Industrial Relations Bill.

Mr. Dudley Smith

The procedure in Clause 35 will be sparingly used in exceptional cases when the normal processes of industrial relations have proved unavailing. I cannot say at this stage whether the circumstances of these undertakings would call for the application of this procedure.

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