Employment Absenteeism 13. Major Guy Lloyd asked the Minister of Labour the current rates of absenteeism in the 12 principal British industries. The Minister of Labour (Mr. GeorgeIsaacs) The only industry in respect of which statistics as to the rate of absenteeism are available is coalmining, for which figures are regularly published by the Ministry of Fuel and Power. Major Lloyd Is it not a little hard on the miners that they should continually have their absenteeism exposed, however bad those figures may be, when everybody knows that the figures for other industries are worse? Will not the Minister provide information about the many other industries in the country, and cannot we have an assurance that, at least in nationalised industries, these figures will be available to the public? Mr. Isaacs The supplementary question went wider than the main Question. It is an unfortunate fact that the only industry for which there is authority to collect the figures is the mines, and this shows them up in a bad light as compared with other industries. I will bear in mind what the hon. and gallant Gentleman asks, but I have no authority to collect such figures at the moment. Major Lloyd Under nationalisation, the Minister will surely have such authority? Cannot we have an undertaking that he will get the authority to make the figures available? Mr. Isaacs I can give no other assurance except that I will bear in mind the hon. and gallant Gentleman's suggestion, and will consider it. Mr. Thomas Brown Is my right hon. Friend aware that the miners are not disturbed at the published figures of the percentage of absenteeism because the results of the last 12 months show that they are doing their bit? Mr. Skeffington-Lodgge Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that washing our dirty linen in public does nobody any good? Mining Volunteer 15. Dr. Santo Jeger asked the Minister of Labour whether he has any statement to make on the case, details of which have been supplied to him, of a man who volunteered for employment in the mines and whose services were refused. Mr. Isaacs I should make it clear that the responsibility for accepting or rejecting any applicant for employment in the coal mines rests, as in the case of any other employer, with the National Coal Board, who in this case were in some doubt as to the applicant's suitability. Staggered Hours 16. Mr. Sidney Shephard asked the Minister of Labour the date on which the staggering of industrial hours of work will end. Mr. Isaacs No decision has yet been taken on this matter. Mr. Shephard Is the Minister aware of the great discomfort inflicted, not only on the workers, but on their wives, through the staggering of hours, and will he keep the matter under constant review, and remove it as soon as possible? Mr. Isaacs I accept with thanks the hon. Gentleman's reference to the inconvenience suffered by the workers and their wives, and by transport and all other people. It is not intended to keep this burden upon them, but to remove it as quickly as possible, and to that end the Electricity Sub-Committee will be meeting within 10 days to come to a decision. Unemployment, Development Areas 17. Mr. S. Shephard asked the Minister of Labour the number of unemployed persons in the Development Areas; and how many of them have been unemployed for a period of more than six months. Mr. Isaacs The number at 8th December, 1947, was 102,897, of whom 33,788 had been continuously unemployed for more than six months. Mr. Shephard In view of those figures, is the Minister satisfied that the progress with the building and re-equipping of the new factories in those areas is going ahead at full speed? Mr. Isaacs No, Sir, we are not satisfied that it is going ahead at full speed. The problem of the shortage of materials has affected it. It has not stopped, but it has slowed up a little, and is now being pressed forward. These people are to have every opportunity in spite of the disadvantages at the moment. In May, 1946, the number of unemployed rose to the very high figure of 172,000. It is now down to 102,000, so that the situation has eased very considerably. Mr. Chetwynd Can my right hon. Friend give the separate figures of women unemployed for more than six months, as their problem is more serious? Mr. Isaacs I have not the figures at the moment, but if my hon. Friend will put down a Question, I will try to get them for him. Economic Policy (Consultations) 18. Mr. Osborne asked the Minister of Labour for what reason, after two months of negotiations, agreement was not reached with the T.U.C. Crisis Committee on a general wages policy; whether he proposes to continue these talks on wages; and whether he will make a statement on the present position. Mr. Isaacs I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by the Lord President of the Council on 4th November, and to the Prime Minister's reply to the hon. Member for The High Peak (Mr. Molson) on 23rd January. Mr. Osborne Many things have happened since 4th November. Cannot the right hon. Gentleman get his colleagues in the trade union movement to see that increased supplies and lower prices are more important than increased paper wages? Can he not get them to see that? Mr. Isaacs I think that the pronouncements that my ex-colleagues on the General Council have made show they are very much alive to that fact. Mr. Jennings Is it not a fact that the Government are afraid to face this issue? Mr. Lipson Is it not a fact that the arrangements for fixing wages function more satisfactorily in this country than in all others? In view of that, is it not better to leave well alone? Mr. Isaacs I think hon. Members have heard me frequently boast of the good relationships in this country as compared with those in other countries. We do have our little outbreaks, but when we consider the whole period since the war, we can say we have been very successful indeed. It would be a great mistake to upset them. Disabled Persons 20. Mr. T. Brown asked the Minister of Labour the number of disabled persons who have passed through the rehabilitation centres, set up under the 1944 Act, the number trained, the number who have been placed in the various industries for which they have been trained and the number who are still left unemployed after training. Mr. Isaacs Training for industries is not given at rehabilitation centres but under the Vocational Training Scheme. Since the scheme of training for the disabled started in 1941, 26,470 have been trained, of whom 23,854 were placed by my Department in the trade for which they had been trained. Of the balance of 2,886, many were placed in other trades or found employment for themselves, but precise records are not available. Mr. T. Brown Can my right hon. Friend say what are the reasons for these men going to other trades? Mr. Isaacs I think they are threefold. First, a man who has been trained for an industry finds there is no opening for him in the area where he lives, and because of domestic reasons or the difficulty of getting a house he does not want to move elsewhere. Secondly, some men find, having taken the training, that they do not like the industry in which they have been trained. Thirdly, others find there is a better rate of wages in another industry. We are disappointed when men have been trained and we are unable to place them in the industries for which they have been trained. Mr. Collins Are the numbers of men awaiting training in various trades decreasing or increasing? Mr. Isaacs I could not say without notice, but the general position, in the light of what I have just said, is that we do not, of course, accept anybody for training unless there is a reasonable prospect of placing him in the industry. Mr. T. Brown Will my right hon. Friend consider the possibility of increasing the rate at which men are absorbed from 3 per cent. to 4 per cent. to give an incentive to men to be trained? Mr. Isaacs I dealt with that matter very fully only last week. There are very considerable difficulties in the way, and we do not contemplate raising the percentage at the moment. 21. Mr. A. Edward Davies asked the Minister of Labour whether, under his regulations, registration on the Disabled Persons Register is optional; what categories registration covers; and whether the 3 per cent. intake required of employers takes account of the unregistered disabled in their employ. Mr. Isaacs Yes, Sir. Registration is optional. It is open to disabled persons of all categories if the disablement is a substantial handicap to obtaining or keeping employment and it if is likely to last for at least six months. Only registered disabled persons count towards the 3 per cent. quota. Mr. Davies Is my right hon. Friend satisfied that he has a complete record of possible registrations, and that provision is being made in this time of crisis to find these men useful work? Mr. Isaacs I am satisfied that we have a very complete register as a result of the great drive made some little time back. I can assure my hon. Friend that, whenever we can find employment for these people, we do so, and that we do so on two grounds, first, that the work will be in the interest of the community, and secondly, that it will give a man an incentive to be happy and cheerful. Mr. Beswick Will my right hon. Friend consider increasing the percentage for particular industries, because there are some which can afford an intake of more than 3 per cent.? Mr. Isaacs We have no power under the Act to make that differentiation, but there are many industries which are voluntarily taking more than the 3 per cent. Quite a number are doing that now. Squadron-Leader Fleming Is the right hon. Gentleman satisfied that employers are fulfilling their obligations in this matter? Mr. Isaacs Yes. There may be a few isolated instances of those who are not, but I must in all sincerity say that I am most grateful to the employers throughout the country for what they are doing in this matter. Workers, Birmingham (Dismissal Notices) 22. Mr. Yates asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that a large number of workpeople employed by the Austin Co., Ltd., Longbridge, Birmingham, have been given notice of dismissal without any prior consultation with either the accredited trade union representatives or the joint production committee; and, as such actions are calculated to cause industrial friction at a time when the national interest demands industrial cooperation, will he take immediate steps to see that machinery is designed to avoid such incidents. Mr. Isaacs The answer to the first part of the Question is, "Yes, Sir." In reply to the second part of the Question, I would point out that there is well-established constitutional machinery in the engineering industry for the settlement of differences between employers and their workpeople. Mr. Yates Is my right hon. Friend aware that the attitude of the chairman and managing director of the Austin Motor Company is one of sheer contempt of the workers, it having been recently stated that it is the directors and not the workers who run the factory? In the circumstances, and in view of the fact that there is no agreement on the issue, is the Minister prepared to call together the various industries, if necessary at the request of the trade unions, for the purpose of arriving at an agreement on this issue which would, at least, give the workers the same security against dismissal as they had during the war? Mr. Isaacs At the request of the trade unions, we should be most happy to call the industry together to discuss matters of this sort. I think it is unfortunate that a mass discharge should take place without at least some sort of consultation with those concerned. The constitutional machinery of the industry, however, must be used before I have power to intervene. Sir P. Hannon Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the statement embodied in the supplementary question of the hon. Member for Ladywood (Mr. Yates) is entirely without foundation? Will machinery be set in motion to stop this unfortunate dispute in Birmingham? Mr. Isaacs I do not want to take sides as to the first part of the supplementary question asked by the hon. Member for Moseley (Sir P. Hannon). As to the second part, the Minister of Labour can intervene only when the constitutional machinery in the industry has been exhausted. Were we to do otherwise, we should cause chaos all over the place. We are willing to intervene as soon as possible, but this industry has a most effective machinery for dealing with problems of this kind. Mr. Shurmer Is my right hon. Friend aware that it is felt in Birmingham that this is the thin edge of the wedge, because in the Singer and Rover Motor Works there is much discontent because of the possibility of a wholesale exodus of redundant workers? Something has got to be done. Mr. Isaacs I hope that what I have said may find a hearing somewhere, and that employers who find that, owing to circumstances, they must of necessity cut down their staffs will at least consult the works councils or their representatives before coming to a decision. Mr. Tolley Will my right hon. Friend consider making it compulsory to set up joint production consultative committees, so that all these troubles can be avoided? Mr. Isaacs We think that committees of that sort are most valuable if they voluntarily work in that way, and that they are likely to be useless if they are compulsory. Mr. W. J. Brown Is it not possible for the Ministry to urge upon employers and employees generally that the machinery for conciliation should operate before there are dismissals instead of afterwards? Mr. Isaacs The hon. Gentleman has put into other words what I have tried to convey to the House.