HC Deb 02 May 1972 vol 836 cc93-4W
Mr. Rose

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will now seek to repeal the provisions in the Industrial Relations Act relating to the so-called cooling-off period and the requirement placed upon trade union officials to take action against their own members who employ them, in view of the deteriorating atmosphere in the field of industrial relations.

Mr. Chichester-Clark:

No.

Mr. Rose

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether, in proceedings before the National Industrial Relations Court where a trade union or trade unions against which an action is brought is not represented or does not appear, he will seek to impose a statutory obligation upon the complainant to wait up to 60 days before seeking to enforce judgment to allow for cooling-off.

Mr. Chichester-Clark:

No. The court is already required to encourage the use of concilation by the parties wherever it sees a prospect of agreement. The failure of a respondent to present his side of the case could not possibly be regarded as a valid reason for rendering virtually ineffective any other action which the court might judge to be necessary.

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