Trade Unions (Immunities and Privileges) (Hansard, 29 January 1979)

§ Mr. Skeet

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will amend the recognition provisions of the Employment Protection Act 1975 to provide that the majority view of workers as expressed in a ballot under section 14 of the Act shall be paramount in deciding which of several unions should be recognised for the purpose of a collective bargaining unit under the Act;

(2) whether he is prepared to amend the statutory immunity provisions of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Acts 1974 and 1976 so that the special privileges accorded trade unionists would not be available for action taken in contemplation or furtherance of a trade dispute but in conflict with an arbitration award.

(3) whether he is prepared to amend the statutory immunity provisions of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Acts 1974 and 1976 so that the special privileges accorded trade unionists would not be available for action taken in contemplation or furtherance of a trade dispute 336W during the currency of a subsisting agreement;

(4) whether he is prepared to amend the statutory immunity provisions of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Acts 1974 and 1976 so that the special privileges accorded trade unionists would not be available for action taken in contemplation or furtherance of a trade dispute in conflict with established procedural agreements accepted by both sides of industry;

(5) whether he is now prepared to amend section 13 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1974, as amended by section 3 subsection (2) of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Amendment) Act 1976, relating to the statutory immunities of trade unionists from liability for actions undertaken during the continuance of a trade dispute, and section 14 to ensure that the privileges accorded workers are only available for the infraction of contracts of employment and not commercial contracts generally;

(6) if he will set up an inquiry to discover what legislative changes would be necessary to ensure that a trade union would act responsibly over wage and salary claims and in its general approach to the public;

(7) if he will consider seeking to set up a Select Committee of the House of Commons to examine the effect of restrictive practices of labour on the economy, to what extent workers have been intimidated by the operations of the closed shop and the effect of trade union statutory immunity upon the United Kingdom economy.