MPs query welfare fund payments
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from our Parliamentary correspondent
• The Commons debate on Mr. Alan Law and the £5,000 given to his union—the TGWU—for its welfare fund was due to be held yesterday.
The discussion was postponed during the row over the redistribution of Parliamentary seats, and Mr. Harold Gurden (Tory, Selly Oak) who was to have opened the debate, was told that he would be given another chance.
In the meantime, Mr. Gurden and other MPs have been questioning Ministers about the affair.
Mr Roy Hattersley, Under Secretary for Employment and Productivity, told Sir Gerald Nabirro (Tory, Worcestershire South) that officers of his department had taken part in talks between the company—Stephenson Clarke and Co.—and the union last November about arrangements for union recognition.
These talks were not concerned with the understanding reported to have been reached between the company and the union in May, of which the Minister had no advance information.
The Minister would be informed of the outcome of the inquiries which the TUC was making, following a complaint from the United Road Transport Union, and would consider in the light of the information received whether any statement of policy or other action was necessary.
Sir Gerald asked if legislation could be introduced to authorize payments by employers to trade union welfare funds to settle disputes, and was told by Mr. Hattersley that there was no legislative obstacle to such payments.
Answering a string of questions about Mr. Law, Mr. Hattersley repeated his earlier statement about the TUC inquiries, which would decide whether Mrs. Castle took any further action.
He made no direct reference to the suggestion put forward by most of his questioners— that the episode should be referred to the Commission on Industrial Relations.