Oliver Colvile
Main Page: Oliver Colvile (Conservative - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)Department Debates - View all Oliver Colvile's debates with the Cabinet Office
(12 years, 9 months ago)
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Oliver Colvile (Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport) (Con)
Thank you for calling me in this debate, Mr Owen. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Congleton (Fiona Bruce) on securing it. May I make it clear at the beginning that I am not proposing to end up getting into trade union bashing, because I recognise that the unions play an important role in industrial relations and in making sure that everybody works together. May I also correct a possible misinterpretation? I understand that the term “pilgrim” refers to a trade union official who goes out and campaigns. In Plymouth, being a Pilgrim means being a supporter of Plymouth Argyle football club. I am delighted to say that I was there to see them draw 0-0 against Dagenham & Redbridge at the weekend.
It is important to recognise that in my city in my constituency, 38% of people work in the public sector, so there is a great deal of interest in employment rights and how the trade unions work not only with the city council, but with a whole series of different organisations. They work with the health service, for instance, and with Babcock, which is a significant employer in helping to ensure that our Navy continues to operate properly.
From my perspective, I find it difficult to go out on the doorsteps and explain to people that, at a time when we are making cuts to front-line public services and when the local authority is making sure that it empties the dustbins and that the potholes in the roads are filled in, the trade unions should end up being treated as a special case. I hope that the Government will ensure that there is significantly more transparency in how the trade unions operate. Perhaps the local authority should make a decision once a year about whether it wants to continue to make the facilities available.
I think that the trade unions have done a significant job, and they have a significant part to play. Indeed, during the discussions on Post Office privatisation, I met with trade unions and I encouraged them to get involved in trying to sort out the problems inside the Post Office, and I encouraged them to make sure that they were able to buy shares in that service. That is something that we may need to look at.
My final point—I am aware that lots of people wish to speak—is that we need to look at the trade union levy and ensure that people can opt in rather than having to opt out. It has to be a positive choice that people make. If it is that way round, we can have a level playing field for everyone to operate in.