§ Mr. Redmondasked the Secretary of State for Employment what changes he envisages in the rôle of the present Industrial Court as a result of the implementation of the Industrial Relations Act, 1971.
§ Mr. R. CarrThe Industrial Court, which will be renamed the Industrial Arbitration Board, will retain its present independent status and will continue to discharge the same functions as the former Industrial Court. It will remain a statutory body independent of both my Department and the National Industrial Relations Court. It will have one addiional function. The Industrial Relations Act, 1971, extends its jurisdiction by providing for trade unions to present claims to the board for new terms and conditions of employment when the National Industrial Relations Court has authorised them to do so, in cases where an employer has failed to disclose information needed for collective bargaining or has refused to comply with an order requiring him to recognise a trade union. Any award made by the Industrial Arbitration Board would become part of the specified employees' contracts of employment.
I should like to pay tribute to the Industrial Court's long and successful record of achievement and to emphasise the continuing importance which the Government attach to its rôle in the future.