HC Deb 25 March 1998 vol 309 cc148-9W
Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has to ensure that workers dismissed for taking part in a legal strike have a right to(a) reinstatement and (b) compensation. [35778]

Mr. Ian McCartney

The Government are reviewing the law on the dismissal of strikers and will announce the outcome in the forthcoming White Paper on fairness at work.

Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what reviews she has undertaken to assess the advantages and disadvantages of a minimum length of employment in respect of protection against unfair dismissal. [35779]

Mr. Ian McCartney

My Department monitors carefully the correspondence and representations which we receive from all sides on this issue. Questions about the length of the employment period discriminating indirectly against women are currently before the European Court of Justice and we shall consider the Court's judgment in due course.