HC Deb 06 December 1983 vol 50 c120W
28. Mr. Thurnham

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied with the effectiveness of the operation of section 17 of the Employment Act 1980 in stopping secondary picketing.

Mr. Gummer

Section 17 of the Employment Act 1980 is concerned with secondary action of all kinds, including blacking and so called sympathetic strikes. Section 16 deals specifically with picketing away from a picket's own place of work and removes immunity from civil law actions from any unlawful acts committed during such picketing. Since the passage of the Act there has been a considerable diminution of indiscriminate secondary blacking and of secondary picketing and employers have been able to secure civil law remedies when they have found it necessary.