New clause 4 - Unofficial industrial action
Employment Relations Bill
10:45 pm
Mr Brian Cotter (Shadow Minister (Trade & Industry), Trade & Industry; Weston-Super-Mare, Liberal Democrat)
I thank the Minister for his response and the opportunity to raise that issue as a warning. I am sure that he will acknowledge the support of Liberal Democrat Members. We want to see good employment relations, and such matters are, generally speaking, resolved in a satisfactory way nowadays.
The Minister has reiterated the steps that can be taken to repudiate unofficial action. I hope that that gets into the public arena, so that we can avoid any possible growth of unofficial action. That could be damaging to employees and to the whole climate of relations. I hope that the Minister is right in saying that those matters will not increase and that those outside the House will take note of what should and what needs to be done. That should help us to avoid the growth of unofficial action, while accepting that people are entitled to withdraw their labour if they feel they have been treated unfairly. On that basis, I beg to ask leave to withdraw the motion.
Motion and clause, by leave, withdrawn.