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Ultra Electric, Limited

Volume 389: debated on Thursday 6 May 1943

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asked the. Minister of Labour (1) whether he is aware that Ultra Electric, Limited, by persistently refusing to establish a joint production committee, to meet any trade union officials or to recognise its workers' memberships of their trade unions, by its treatment of Mrs. Birch and Mr. Jenkins which is already known to him, and by numerous other acts of hostility to its workers, has created feelings of discontent and indignation calculated to injure production in spite of the workers best efforts to maintain morale; and whether he will take steps to make this concern behave reasonably to its workers;(2) whether he is aware that Ultra Electric, Limited, when recently ordered by one of his National Service officers to reinstate one of its workers named Jenkins, whom it had dismissed without justification, locked its gates and sought to prevent him entering the factory to do his work, and that when it was compelled to admit him, it shortly afterwards made a false charge against him to the National Service officer and then refused him permission to leave the factory to attend the employment exchange at the National Service officer's direction to make his answer to the charge; and what steps will he take in the matter?

I am aware that various difficulties of the kind mentioned are reported to exist at this firm and efforts are being made to arrange a, joint conference under the auspices of my Department between representatives of the management and officials of one of the unions concerned.