HL Deb 18 November 1971 vol 325 cc803-4WA
LORD DELACOURT-SMITH

asked Her Majesty's Government:

To make a statement indicating, in respect of a period of twelve months to the most recent convenient date, what approximate number of concerns, covering how many employees, have changed their recognition arrangements from ones based on a closed shop to ones based on an agency shop; what are the major concerns which have made such a change, and what number of employees these concerns respectively cover.

THE MINISTER WITHOUT PORT-FOLIO (LORD DRUMALBYN)

I regret that the information is not available. Until Sections 5 and 7 of the Industrial Relations Act are brought into operation (which it is expected will be early in 1972), existing closed shop agreements continue to be lawful. Employers and unions are, therefore, at present under no obligation to afford employees the option of making a financial contribution to a union as an alternative to joining that union.