§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will give, for the longest stated period of time, the number of strikes or industrial disputes that have occurred in his various offices, the reasons or causes and the number of workers concerned; and to what extent the Government's wages and salaries policy has been the cause of such stoppages.
§ Mr. DeakinsStrikes and other industrial action by the staff of my Department over the past year have taken several forms, including limitations on certain kinds of work, token stoppages and full withdrawal of labour for periods up to one day. The reasons for taking these actions have also varied. They include, for example, heating failures in some offices, reductions in public expenditure, and Civil Service pay.
Strike action over Civil Service pay has taken place as follows:
(i) On 8th November 1977, responding to a call for action nationally by the Society of Civil and Public Servants, about 11,150 members—41 per cent. of staff in grades represented by the union—walked out for the afternoon. Additionally about 3,440 members of the Civil and Public Services Association absented themselves.
(ii) During week commencing 28th November 1977, responding to a call for action by the Civil and Public Services Association nationally, about 26,700 914W members of that union—40 per cent. of staff in grades represented by the union—walked out for periods of one day or a half-day. About 1,200 members of the Society of Civil Servants were involved in sympathetic action.