Bill To Control Union Activity

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30498, 21 July 1964, Page 16

Bill To Control Union Activity

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) LONDON, July 20. The text of a new bill, under which the Minister of Labour could bar any trade union practice considered to be against the public interest, was published on Saturday.

The bill was introduced in the House of Commons on July 9 by Mr Ronald Bell (Conservative, Buckinghamshire) and given a formal first reading. It allows the Minister, to set up a permanent commission to deal with trade union activities, and gives, him pow ; er to act on commission reports and recommendations. Mr Bell said when he introduced the bill in the House that trade unions now occupied a powerful position in public life, but were not answerable to Parliament or to anyone but themselves. They were immune to legal action over a wide field and could exercise more real power than any association of employers, he said. The bill envisages the forming of a trade union commission, comprising four to 10 members appointed by the Minister of Labour. It could force persons to attend a hearing and give evidence.

The commission could recommend that some union activity be curbed, if it considered the activity was against the public interest. The Minister would be empowered to declare the activity illegal. He would be able to declare as unlawful any agreement between unions, or between a union and employer, if the commission felt this could harm the public interest. The Minister also would be able to declare null and void any union rule deemed by the commission to be against the public interest. Proposed penalties for breaches of an order will be a maximum of three months in prison’, or a maximum £lOO fine, or both.

The proposed act would not apply in Northern Ireland.