Union communications with workers after acceptance of application
Employment Relations Bill
10:45 am
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk, Conservative)
We are making very good progress under your chairmanship, Mr. Stevenson, which is extremely encouraging. We are racing ahead.
Clause 5 is a long clause about union communications with workers after the acceptance of the application. The amendments would add new subsections (9) and (10) to the clause. More detail is needed about who the independent persons are. I am not an expert, unlike some members of the Committee who know a lot about how these procedures work, but I do not have a real feel about the sort of people who have applied to go on the informal panel, or about the performance that has so far been achieved. The Minister said that there was an 80 per cent. satisfaction rate, but it was on a small poll of interested parties.
It would be helpful if the Minister told us who these suitable independent persons are. Is there a long waiting list to go on the panel? Is there a ready supply of such people? What sort of people are they? Are they academics, business men, retired trade unionists, ex-Conservative councillors or ex-Labour councillors? How does one get on the list? Does one have to be approved as an expert in labour relations? It would be useful to have more details. The Minister could enlighten us further on these matters. Amendment No. 18 is sensible and fair.