RIGHT TO LOBBY PARLIAMENT

Early day motion 582, tabled 10 April 2001 by Austin Mitchell (Labour). Signed by 40 members.

That this House is concerned at the treatment by Ashfield District Council of Richard Buckwell, a housing officer and elected UNISON branch secretary, threatened with disciplinary action by his employer for attending the Defend Council Housing lobby of Parliament in January 2001 to lobby his own and other honourable Members against the sale of council housing; warns that such a restriction of individual rights to lobby Parliament is both dangerous and undesirable; and affirms the major principle that employees who are also elected union officers or members should neither be disciplined for, nor deterred from, supporting and advocating the policy of their union even when this differs from the policy of the council, as UNISON's does on the sale of council housing.

Signatures by party: Labour 33, Labour/Co-operative 3, Liberal Democrat 3, Plaid Cymru 1.