D O C U M E N T IS T H E P R O P E R T Y O F H E R B R I T A N N I C M A J E S T Y ' S G O V E R N M E N T
C P ( 7 1 ) 147
1 December
COPY N O
g3
1971
CABINET
TRADE UNION A T T I T U D E S TO THE I M P L E M E N T A T I O N OF THE INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS ACT M e m o r a n d u m b y t h e S e c r e t a r y of S t a t e f o r E m p l o y m e n t
1.
I w a s i n v i t e d t o c i r c u l a t e f o r t h e i n f o r m a t i o n of the C a b i n e t a
n o t e a p p r a i s i n g t h e c u r r e n t a t t i t u d e s of t h e T r a d e s U n i o n C o n g r e s s ( T U C )
t o t h e i m p l e m e n t a t i o n of t h e I n d u s t r i a l R e l a t i o n s A c t ( C M ( 7 1 ) 5 6 t h
Conclusions, Minute 4).
2.
A t t h e p r e s e n t t i m e , o n l y c e r t a i n p a r t s of t h e A c t h a v e b e e n
brought into force.
T h e s e i n c l u d e the p r o v i s i o n s enabling u n i o n s and
e m p l o y e r s o r g a n i s a t i o n s to r e g i s t e r with the Chief R e g i s t r a r ; and
t h o s e p r o v i s i o n s e s t a b l i s h i n g t h e C o m m i s s i o n o n I n d u s t r i a l R e l a t i o n s (CIR)
as a statutory body.
On 1 D e c e m b e r , h o w e v e r , f u r t h e r m a j o r p a r t s of
the Act will b e c o m e operative.
T h e s e i n c l u d e , n o t a b l y , t h e Qfifts-blishment
of the National I n d u s t r i a l R e l a t i o n s Court (NIRC); the p r o v i s i o n s on
e n f o r c e a b l e c o l l e c t i v e a g r e e m e n t s and t r a d e union r e c o g n i t i o n ; and the
emergency procedures.
I e n v i s a g e t h a t t h o s e p a r t s of the A c t e x t e n d i n g
the r i g h t s of i n d i v i d u a l e m p l o y e e s - the r i g h t t o b e l o n g to a t r a d e union or
n o t t o d o s o ; s a f e g u a r d s a g a i n s t u n f a i r d i s m i s s a l ; a n d t h e r i g h t of a p p e a l
by union m e m b e r s against unfair union p r a c t i c e s - should c o m e into force
i n t h e e a r l y p a r t of n e x t y e a r ( p r o b a b l y 1 F e b r u a r y / 1 M a r c h ) .
1
3.
S i n c e t h e b u l k of t h e A c t i s n o t y e t i n f o r c e , i t i s p r e m a t u r e t o
a s s e s s h o w f a r t h e a t t i t u d e s a n d p o l i c y of t h e T U C a n d i t s a f f i l i a t e d u n i o n s
w i l l i m p e d e t h e r e f o r m s i n t r o d u c e d b y t h e A c t . S o f a r the T U C s s t r a t e g y
i s t o a t t e m p t t o m a k e the A c t i n e f f e c t i v e b y : ­
a.
b o y c o t t i n g t h e i n s t i t u t i o n s e s t a b l i s h e d b y the A c t .
This
m e a n s r e f u s a l of u n i o n o f f i c i a l s t o s e r v e o n t h e N I R C , C I R a n d
Industrial T r i b u n a l s ; and a r e f u s a l by affiliated unions to u s e
the n e w m a c h i n e r y ;
b.
r e f u s i n g to r e g i s t e r - or m o r e a c c u r a t e l y in m o s t c a s e s
d e c i d i n g to w i t h d r a w f r o m the r e g i s t e r ;
1
c.
i n s i s t i n g o n t h e i n c l u s i o n i n a l l c o l l e c t i v e a g r e e m e n t s of
a c l a u s e d i s c l a i m i n g the i n t e n t i o n to m a k e t h e a g r e e m e n t l e g a l l y
binding;
and
d.
putting p r e s s u r e o n e m p l o y e r s t o d i s r e g a r d the A c t and
c a r r y on " b u s i n e s s a s u s u a l " a s though the A c t did not e x i s t .
4.
Although there are certainly s o m e affiliated unions (particularly
among those recruiting white-collar w o r k e r s ) which have e x p r e s s e d
m i s g i v i n g s about c e r t a i n a s p e c t s of the T U C s p o l i c y t o w a r d s the A c t ,
t h e r e i s n o s i g n a t p r e s e n t of a n y s i g n i f i c a n t m o v e t o " b r e a k r a n k s " o n
t h e p a r t of a m a j o r a f f i l i a t e d u n i o n ; a n d n o i m p o r t a n t u n i o n s l e a d e r s a t
p r e s e n t s e e m p r e p a r e d to d i s a s s o c i a t e t h e m s e l v e s p u b l i c l y f r o m TUC
policy.
A s u b s t a n t i a l n u m b e r of u n i o n s h a v e a l r e a d y , i n a c c o r d a n c e
with TUC policy, withdrawn f r o m the r e g i s t e r ; a n d only a e m a i l handful
h a v e m a d e public t h e i r i n t e n t i o n to s e e k r e g i s t r a t i o n o r r e m a i n on the
register.
N o n e t h e l e s s , s o m e i m p o r t a n t u n i o n s a r e e v i d e n t l y i n no
h u r r y to d e - r e g i s t e r ; and o t h e r s h a v e b e e n a d v i s e d by the Chief
R e g i s t r a r that, under their p r e s e n t r u l e s , they m a y not lawfully withdraw
f r o m the registex-.
In s h o r t , a d e c i s i o n about w h e t h e r o r not t o r e g i s t e r
h a s not b e e n , or cannot b e , r e a c h e d b y a number of s i z e a b l e unions.
The Appendix attached s u m m a r i s e s the p r e s e n t position.
5.
I h a v e no doubt that it w i l l b e s o m e w h i l e b e f o r e t r a d e u n i o n s
a f f i l i a t e d to the T U C a r e p r e p a r e d to adopt a m o r e p r a g m a t i c , r e a l i s t i c
or opportunistic a p p r o a c h to the A c t .
This is disappointing; but
scarcely unexpected.
T h e l e n g t h of t h e p e r i o d b e f o r e t h e r e i s a " t h a w "
i n t r a d e u n i o n a t t i t u d e s w i l l d e p e n d , t o a c o n s i d e r a b l e e x t e n t , o n the
p o s i t i o n t a k e n b y t h e m a j o r w h i t e - c o l l a r u n i o n s - s e v e r a l of w h o m m a y
w i s h t o find a n e x c u s e to r e g i s t e r a n d to u s e the A c t i n o r d e r t o p r o t e c t
and defend t h e m s e l v e s a g a i n s t the c h a l l e n g e f r o m n o n - a f f i l i a t e d t r a d e
unions.
It i s b y n o m e a n s u n l i k e l y t h a t s u c h c h a l l e n g e s w i l l b e m a d e i n
s u c h i n d u s t r i e s a s b a r k i n g and i n s u r a n c e , i n l o c a l g o v e r n m e n t , and i n t h e
post office.
T h i s m a y f o r c e t h e h a n d of u n i o n s s u c h a s t h e A s s o c i a t i o n
o£ S c i e n t i f i c , T e c h n i c a l a n d M a n a g e r i a l S t a f f s ( A S T M S ) , t h e N a t i o n a l
A s s o c i a t i o n of L o c a l G o v e r n m e n t O f f i c e r s ( N A L G O ) a n d t h e U n i o n of P o s t
Office W o r k e r s (UPOW) and o t h e r s , and t h e r e b y s t a r t a c h a i n r e a c t i o n
w h i c h would c e r t a i n l y not be l i m i t e d t o the w h i t e - c o l l a r s e c t o r .
In
g e n e r a l , h o w e v e r , I b e l i e v e that any o v e r t a t t e m p t s b y the G o v e r n m e n t
o r b y e m p l o y e r s t o e x p l o i t t h e p r o v i s i o n s o f t h e A c t a s a m e a n s of
e m b a r r a s s i n g or weakening trade unions will be m o r e l i k e l y to harden
than to soften t r a d e union o p p o s i t i o n .
6.
D e s p i t e t r a d e union o p p o s i t i o n to the A c t - or i n s o m e c a s e s
b e c a u s e of i t - t h e r e i s a g r e a t d e a l o f e v i d e n c e t h a t e m p l o y e r s a r e t a k i n g
the A c t v e r y s e r i o u s l y , and a r e f u n d a m e n t a l l y r e v i e w i n g e x i s t i n g p r o c e d ­
u r e s i n t h e l i g h t of i t s p r o v i s i o n s .
T h i s a c t i v i t y and r e - t h i n k i n g on the
p a r t of e m p l o y e r s s h o u l d h a v e t h e e f f e c t b o t h of b r i n g i n g a b o u t m o r e
r a p i d l y r e f o r m s in i n d u s t r i a l r e l a t i o n s and a l s o of f o r c i n g the trade
unions to f a c e up to the n e e d for c h a n g e .
For this reason, among others,
it i s far f r o m t r u e t o s a y that the t r a d e unions w i l l , t h r o u g h t h e i r p o l i c y
of n o n - c o - o p e r a t i o n , p r e v e n t t h e i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o r n u l l i f y t h e e f f e c t s of
the A c t .
R C
D e p a r t m e n t of E m p l o y m e n t
30 N o v e m b e r 1971
2
(CONFIDENTIAL) APPENDIX TRADE UNION REGISTRATION The following statement shows the position at 26 November
in respect of unions affiliated to the TUC.
SIZE
TOTAL NUMBER OF
AFFILIATED UNIONS
NUMBER NOT
REGISTERED
REGISTRATION
CANCELLED
STILL
REGISTERED
Large
(100,000
members or
over)
23
3
11
9
Medium
(10,000
but under
100,000
members)
^9
7
27
15
Small
(under
10,000
members)
69
18
23
28
141
28
61
52*
* Includes a small number of unions who have applied for cancellation, but whose rules require them to be registered (eg AEU, ASTMS). (CONFIDENTIAL)