§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the percentage increase of the wages award for 1974 approved by the Joint Industry Board for the Electrical Contracting Industry ; and what estimate he has made of the effect of any refusal to implement this award on plant bargaining and management/labour relationships and on apprentice training schemes.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithLong before stage 3 provisions were known, and in accordance with its usual practice of fixing wages well in advance, the Joint Industry 21W Board for the Electrical Contracting Industry awarded increases payable from January 1974 some 34 per cent. above the 1973 standard rates.
Now that the stage 3 pay code is in force I hope that the industry will renegotiate its 1974 settlement and notify the Pay Board for approval. In advance of this action it would be wrong to speculate on what might be the effects of a refusal by the Pay Board to approve the settlement.