Warwickshire RFU

DETAILS OF THE DEBATE AND HOW MPs VOTED ARE LISTED BELOW. 11 Jan 2012 : Column 203 Last time, the attack was led by the hon. Member for Cannock Chase (Mr Burley) in this Chamber. I had thought he might be detained elsewhere. I have to say to the hon. Member for Hereford and South Herefordshire (Jesse Norman) that I am surprised to hear him attempt to bring in this Bill. He is gaining a growing reputation for hard work and intelligent comment, but his speech was a cheap-shot speech based on ignorance, ideology and inaccurate briefings from the TaxPayers Alliance. He talks about trade union accounts and public service, but the Bill is a broadside against trade union organising in both the public and the private sectors. It is a personal attack on around 200,000 people who are ready to help their colleagues by giving advice, by supporting them at grievances and discplinaries and by negotiating with managers. That is difficult and demanding work, but many of those representatives are also ready to take on extra, special responsibilities for improving health and safety, equality, training and environmental standards. The Bill is a personal attack on people such as Kevin Maggs, a GMB learning representative at A & P ship repairers in Cornwall. He organised open learning days for his colleagues at work and encouraged them on to courses. He says that some of them have been able to gain qualifications for a job they have done for years, whereas others have been able to understand their pay slip for the first time because of their improved literacy and numeracy. The hon. Member for Hereford and South Herefordshire might not be able to understand that, but Ministers do. Let me quote the Minister for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, who said last year: “I want to pay tribute to union learning reps, who have made so much difference to so many lives, and to such effect. Trade unions can play an invaluable and immeasurable role in improving skills in the workplace.” That is why the Government are rightly investing £33 million to support union learning. It is part of the £110 million condemned by the TaxPayers Alliance. Many trade union reps rightly receive paid time off from their other work to carry out those duties. Many also devote much of their own time to that work. A recent Government survey showed that reps in the public sector contribute up to 100,000 unpaid hours each week to carry out their duties. Our union reps are the unsung heroes of the long, proud British tradition of volunteering. They are the workplace wing of the Prime Minister’s big society. There should be receptions in Downing street to pay tribute to their work. They support their colleagues and they save employers and the Exchequer millions of pounds each year by reducing the number of employment tribunals and days lost through illness and injury. By improving productivity and training, they help organisations to get through periods of great pressure and great change. I looked at the new year’s honours list this year and saw there were hundreds of civil servants, charity workers and business people on it—especially civil servants—but I found only one person, Mr Charles James from Leeds, who was honoured for the service he has given to his union and to his community. We should see many more ordinary workplace reps being honoured in future like Mr James. I think that the House will have recognised that the hon. Gentleman did not quote one single employer. Employers are not calling for this attack; it does not even feature on the CBI’s 11-point checklist of curbs it wants to see on trade unions. Many of our biggest and best British companies work with trade unions and recognise them—Rolls-Royce, Tesco, Virgin Media, Odeon cinemas, the HSBC bank and Jaguar Land Rover. Those names are known worldwide and those companies know the benefit of working with trade unions and know the benefit of trade union representation. If we accept that employers as well as employees benefit from union representation, it is entirely right to expect employers to make a contribution towards the cost. That is why the hon. Gentleman’s Bill is wrong. Let me say one final thing to him and his colleagues. Many trade unionists voted Conservative at the last general election—too many—and some even voted Lib Dem. They do not deserve this and the Bill does not deserve support from any part of this House. Question put (Standing Order No. 23). The House divided: Ayes 132, Noes 211 Division No. 419] [1.55 pm AYES Afriyie, Adam Aldous, Peter Amess, Mr David Andrew, Stuart Bacon, Mr Richard Baker, Steve Baldwin, Harriett Baron, Mr John Binley, Mr Brian Blackman, Bob Bradley, Karen Brine, Steve Bruce, Fiona Burley, Mr Aidan ( BYLES DAN NORTH WARWICKSHIRE ) Campbell, Mr Gregory Carswell, Mr Douglas Chishti, Rehman Clifton-Brown, Geoffrey Coffey, Dr Thérèse Colvile, Oliver Crockart, Mike Davies, David T. C. (Monmouth) Davies, Philip Dinenage, Caroline Dodds, rh Mr Nigel Donaldson, rh Mr Jeffrey M. Dorrell, rh Mr Stephen Drax, Richard Ellis, Michael Elphicke, Charlie Eustice, George Evans, Jonathan Field, Mark Fox, rh Dr Liam Freer, Miken Fullbrook, Lorraine Gale, Sir Roger Garnier, Mark Gilbert, Stephen Glen, John Goldsmith, Zac Gray, Mr James Griffiths, Andrew Gummer, Ben Gyimah, Mr Sam Harris, Rebecca Hart, Simon Heaton-Harris, Chris Henderson, Gordon Hinds, Damian Hollingbery, George Hollobone, Mr Philip Holloway, Mr Adam Jackson, Mr Stewart Jenkin, Mr Bernard Johnson, Gareth (JONES MR MARCUS NUNEATON ) Kirby, Simon Knight, rh Mr Greg Kwarteng, Kwasi Latham, Pauline Leadsom, Andrea Lee, Dr Phillip Leigh, Mr Edward Lewis, Brandon Lewis, Dr Julian Lilley, rh Mr Peter Lopresti, Jack Lord, Jonathan Lumley, Karen Main, Mrs Anne Maynard, Paul McCartney, Jason McCartney, Karl McCrea, Dr William McIntosh, Miss Anne McPartland, Stephen Mercer, Patrick Metcalfe, Stephen Mills, Nigel Mordaunt, Penny Morris, Anne Marie Morris, David Morris, James Mosley, Stephen Murray, Sheryll, Sarah Nokes, Caroline Norman, Jesse Nuttall, Mr David Offord, Mr Matthe Paisley, Ian Parish, Neil ( PAWSEY, MARK RUGBY ) Percy, Andrew Phillips, Stephen Pritchard, Mark Raab, Mr Dominic Reckless, Mark Redwood, rh Mr John Rees-Mogg, Jacob Reevell, Simon Reid, Mr Alan Robertson, Mr Laurence Rosindell, Andrew Rudd, Amber Ruffley, Mr David Sandys, Laura Shannon, Jim Simpson, David Smith, Henry Spencer, Mr Mark Stevenson, John Stewart, Bob Stewart, Iain Sturdy, Julian Syms, Mr Robert Tomlinson, Justin Truss, Elizabeth Turner, Mr AndrewTyrie, Mr Andrew Uppal, Paul Walker, Mr Robin Weatherley, Mike Wharton, James Wheeler, Heather (CHRIS WHITE WARWICK) Whittaker, Craig Whittingdale, Mr John Wollaston, Dr Sarah ( ZAHAWI NADHIM STRATFORD ON AVON) Tellers for the Ayes: Matthew Hancock and Guto Bebb NOES Abrahams, Debbie Ainsworth, rh Mr Bob Alexander, Heidi Ali, Rushanara Anderson, Mr David Ashworth, Jonathan Austin, Ian Bailey, Mr Adrian Bain, Mr William Bayley, Hugh Beckett, rh Margaret Begg, Dame Anne Beith, rh Sir Alan Benton, Mr Joe Berger, Luciana Betts, Mr Clive Blackman-Woods, Roberta Blenkinsop, Tom Blomfield, Paul Blunkett, rh Mr David Brennan, Kevin Brown, Lyn Brown, rh Mr Nicholas Brown, Mr Russell Bruce, rh Malcolm Bryant, Chris Buck, Ms Karen Burden, Richard Campbell, Mr Alan Campbell, Mr Ronnie Caton, Martin Chapman, Mrs Jenny Clark, Katy Clarke, rh Mr Tom Clwyd, rh Ann Coffey, Ann Connarty, Michael Cooper, Rosie Corbyn, Jeremy Crausby, Mr David Creasy, Stella Cryer, John Cunningham, Alex Cunningham, Mr Jim Cunningham, Tony Dakin, Nic Danczuk, Simon David, Mr Wayne Davies, Geraint De Piero, Gloria Denham, rh Mr John Dobbin, Jim Docherty, Thomas Donohoe, Mr Brian H. Doran, Mr Frank Doyle, Gemma Dromey, Jack Durkan, Mark Edwards, Jonathan Efford, Clive Elliott, Julie Ellman, Mrs Louise Esterson, Bill Evans, Chris Farrelly, Paul Fitzpatrick, Jim Flello, Robert Flynn, Paul Fovargue, Yvonne Francis, Dr Hywel Gapes, Mike Gardiner, Barry George, Andrew Glass, Pat Glindon, Mrs Mary Goggins, rh Paul Goodman, Helen Greatrex, Tom Green, Kate Greenwood, Lilian Griffith, Nia Gwynne, Andrew Halfon, Robert Hamilton, Mr David Hamilton, Fabian Hanson, rh Mr David Harris, Mr Tom Havard, Mr Dai Healey, rh John Hemming, John Hendrick, Mark Hepburn, Mr Stephen Heyes, David Hillier, Meg Hilling, Julie Hodge, rh Margaret Hodgson, Mrs Sharon Hood, Mr Jim Hopkins, Kelvin Horwood, Martin Hosie, Stewart Howarth, rh Mr George Hunt, Tristram Irranca-Davies, Huw Jackson, Glenda James, Mrs Siân C. Jamieson, Cathy Jarvis, Dan Johnson, rh Alan Jones, Graham Jones, Helen Jones, Susan Elan Joyce, Eric Kaufman, rh Sir Gerald Keeley, Barbara Lavery, Ian Lazarowicz, Mark Leech, Mr John Leslie, Chris Lloyd, Tony Llwyd, rh Mr Elfyn Long, Naomi Love, Mr Andrew Lucas, Caroline MacNeil, Mr Angus Brendan MacShane, rh Mr Denis Mactaggart, Fiona Mahmood, Shabana Malhotra, Seema Mann, John Marsden, Mr Gordon McCabe, Steve McCarthy, Kerry McClymont, Gregg McDonnell, Dr Alasdair McDonnell, John McFadden, rh Mr Pat McGovern, Jim McKechin, Ann McKenzie, Mr Iain McKinnell, Catherine Meacher, rh Mr Michael Meale, Sir Alan Mearns, Ian Michael, rh Alun Mitchell, Austin Moon, Mrs Madeleine Morden, Jessica Morris, Grahame M. (Easington) Mudie, Mr George Munn, Meg Munt, Tessa Murphy, rh Paul Murray, Ian Nandy, Lisa O'Donnell, Fiona Onwurah, Chi Osborne, Sandra Owen, Albert Pearce, Teresa Perkins, Toby Pound, Stephen Qureshi, Yasmin Reed, Mr Jamie Reynolds, Emma Reynolds, Jonathan Riordan, Mrs Linda Robertson, John Rogerson, Dan Rotheram, Steve Roy, Mr Frank Roy, Lindsay Ruane, Chris Russell, Sir Bob Sanders, Mr Adrian Sarwar, Anas Seabeck, Alison Sharma, Mr Virendra Sheerman, Mr Barry Sheridan, Jim Shuker, Gavin Skinner, Mr Dennis Slaughter, Mr Andy Smith, rh Mr Andrew Smith, Angela Smith, Nick Smith, Owen Smith, Sir Robert Spellar, rh Mr John Stringer, Graham Stuart, Ms Gisela Sutcliffe, Mr Gerry Tami, Mark Thomas, Mr Gareth Timms, rh Stephen Twigg, Derek Walley, Joan Watson, Mr Tom Watts, Mr Dave Weir, Mr Mike Whitehead, Dr Alan Williams, Hywel Williams, Mr Mark Williamson, Chris Willott, Jenny Wilson, Phil Winnick, Mr David Wishart, Pete Woodcock, John Wright, David Wright, Mr Iain Tellers for the Noes: Valerie Vaz and Sheila Gilmore Source from www.parliment.uk