Redundancy Pay Threats In The British Coal Industry

EDM number 446 in 1991-92, proposed by Kevin Barron on 19/12/1991.

That this House condemns the actions of the British Coal Corporation in withdrawing the top-up redundancy payments of up to ú10, 000 with effect from 31st March 1992; believes that this is an attempt to secure the closure of collieries in line with the Rothschilds Report which sees the industry being cut to only 14 pits; notes that in 1989 three eminent QCs who make up the Independent Review Body stated that 'we take the view that the apparent change in dates affecting the eligibility to enhanced redundancy did interfere with the IRB procedure. ...if this were to occur again it would undermine our function as an Independent Review Body and thus put the whole review procedure in jeopardy'; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to stop the use of these tactics by the British Coal Corporation and ensure that colliery closures can be referred to the review procedure by the workforce at any time without any threatened loss of redundancy payments.

This motion has been signed by a total of 45 MPs.