§ Mr. Dixonasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many convictions there have been in the last three years against employers in breach of the Truck Act 1896.
§ Mr. AlisonNone.
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§ Mr. Dixonasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether his Department issued any instructions to wages inspectors concerning the application of section 1 of the Truck Act 1896 to cashiers in petrol filling stations; and, if so, what instructions were issued.
§ Mr. AlisonNo specific instructions have been issued relating to cashiers employed in petrol filling stations. Such workers are normally regarded by the Wages Inspectorate as shop assistants for the purposes of section 1 of the Truck Act 1896. This section makes it illegal for an employer to make any contract with a worker which provides for deductions from wages in respect of fines, unless the conditions specified in that section are satisfied. Deductions to make up cash shortages are not regarded as fines.
§ Mr. Dixonasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many investigations into possible breaches of the Truck Act 1896 have been carried out by the Wages Inspectorate in the last three years; and how many of these investigations have resulted in prosecutions being initiated against employers for breaches of the Truck Act 1896.
§ Mr. AlisonThe numbers of investigations carried out by the Wages Inspectorate into possible breaches of the Truck Act 1896 in the past three years were 51 in 1979, 61 in 1980, 76 in 1981 and 52 between 1 January and 24 September 1982. None of these investigations resulted in prosecutions being initiated.