§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will introduce the necessary legislation preventing any private or State employer from having the rights to compel any worker to work overtime or on their normal rest days and to prevent employers from taking disciplinary or punitive action against any workers who decline to work overtime or on their normal rest days.
§ Mr. Chichester-Clark:On the first part of the Question, legislation is unnecessary because no employer has any such rights. The answer to the second part of the Question is "No ".
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a detailed list of the statutory rules and regulations which lay down a legal obligation upon 93W workers in certain circumstances to work overtime and on their normal rest days where on refusal disciplinary and punitive action may be taken against them.
§ Mr. Chichester-Clark:There are no statutory rules and regulations which lay down such an obligation.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a detailed list giving the trades and indus- tries, joint industrial, or wages boards which lay down rules and regulations which compel workers in certain circum- stances to work overtime and on their normal rest days; and what is the total number of workers affected by these agreements.
§ Mr. Chichester-Clark:No worker can be compelled to work if he does not wish to, although where he is bound by his contract to work overtime he can be sued if he breaks his contract.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Employment to what extent, in the countries of the Six, workers may in certain circumstances be compelled to work overtime and on their normal rest days on penalty of disciplinary or legal action being taken against them if they decline such work; and to what extent, on Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community, Great Britain will have to observe such practices.
§ Mr. Chichester-Clark:My right hon. Friend has no reason to believe that the position differs from that in this country, namely that no employer can compel a worker to work when he does not wish to, although he can sue him if he breaks his contract. On the second part of the question, there is no legislation or standardised practice concerning over- time or rest day working in the EEC with which the United Kingdom would have to conform on entry.