Written question asked by Lord Bellingham (Conservative) on Wednesday, 26 November 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 3 December 2003. It was answered by Gerry Sutcliffe (Labour) on Wednesday, 3 December 2003 on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Dept of Trade and Industry

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps her Department is taking to limit the number of unofficial strikes where striking workers refuse to submit to arbitration.

Answer: Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is taking to limit the number of unofficial strikes where striking workers refuse to submit to arbitration. [140529] Mr. Sutcliffe: The Government actively encourages parties to seek the assistance of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) where appropriate, while recognising that compelling either employers or workers to enter into arbitration can be counter-productive.

Secondary information