Private Equity (Transfer of Undertakings and Protection of Employment) Bill

My hon. Friend the Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire, North (Jim Sheridan) is absolutely right. I know what a contribution he has made to British industry—to working for partnerships between employers and employees. If the hon. Member for Huntingdon does not mind, I am happy to listen to what my hon. Friend has to say. He refers to real issues; there have been situations in which, following a transfer of equity, there were variations in contracts and dismissals, and collective agreements were dismissed and thrown out of the window. In some cases, the right to preservation of trade union recognition—something that I thought was accepted in all parts of the House—has been dismissed. In light of that, it seems perfectly reasonable for us to at least consider the issues, and the Bill introduced by my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, East allows us to do so. I make no apology for defending the rights of the work force. The Conservative spokesman, the hon. Member for Huntingdon, appeared to dismiss the fact that we have a responsibility, which I found incredible. Of course we have responsibilities to employers, large and small, but equally we have a responsibility to work forces who have contributed to the success of British industry and commerce that we have been discussing. Dismissals are very frequent in the situations that the Bill addresses. I recall a local firm in my constituency called RB Tenant, which was headed by the local provost. When I became provost myself, and worked with my MP colleague, the late Jimmy Dempsey, there was never any problem about being invited in for a cup of tea and a chat about how the company was going. We could meet the unions and the work force. When the firm was taken over by Sheffield Forgemasters, by and large the same atmosphere prevailed. Sadly, when there was a much bigger takeover by an American concern, resulting in dismissals of the kind that my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, East mentioned, the Member of Parliament was not even allowed to pass the door. There were huge numbers of dismissals. I stood at the company gates while men who had given 20 or 30 years of service left in tears, having been thrown out. They were not told a word about the future of their pensions. Am I supposed to say that we ought not to do anything about such problems, and that if we do, we are upsetting the balance that has been established, with a lot of help from TUPE, in British industrial relations? I believe not. The Bill is about genuine partnership, and about providing information and consulting after post-equity transfers. It is about talking with trade unions. Yesterday I had a brief conversation with Jack Dromey, and his description of the Bill, and his attitude to modern industrial relations, did not bear any relation to what I heard the hon. Member for Huntingdon say. To take up a point made by the Liberal Democrat spokesperson, the hon. Member for Solihull (Lorely Burt), it is perfectly reasonable to provide for the representation of employees in cases where trade unions do not exist. There is nothing particularly radical or challenging in that. That is the sort of measure that the Bill would introduce. I would certainly welcome the Bill completing its various stages and emerging as an Act, but if that does not happen, my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, East should still feel that he has done an enormous service to industrial democracy and decency in this country, and I am sure that my hon. Friend the Minister will respond to the debate in that spirit.