Post Office Act 1977

Post Office Act 1977

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to increase the maximum number of members of the Post Office.
Citation	1977 c. 44
Dates
Royal assent	29 July 1977
Other legislation
Amends	Post Office Act 1969
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

The Post Office Act 1977 (c. 44) was an act of Parliament of the United Kingdom, which regulated corporate governance at the Post Office. It required that employees had voting rights for the board of directors. It is generally thought to have proved successful, but was repealed in 1979.

Contents

Section 1(1) substituted 19 for 12 directors on the board, under the Post Office Act 1969 section 6(2).

Section 1(2) inserted a new section 6(2A) saying the maximum number would be reduced back to 12 on 31 March 1980, unless the Secretary of State made an order otherwise, draft approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.

Operation

The first new board met in January 1978. Qualitative empirical work suggests that the board functioned harmoniously, and worker participation on the board was welcomed. The Conservative government was elected on 4 May 1979. It let the two year ‘experiment’ under the Post Office Act 1977 lapse. This was criticised in Parliament, but went ahead.

See also

• UK labour law
• UK company law

References

• E Batstone, A Ferner and M Terry, Unions on the board: an experiment in industrial democracy (1983)
• Lord Winterbottom, HL Deb (21 July 1977) vol 386, cols 548-64, debate before sent to committee.
• Secretary of State for Industry, Sir Keith Joseph, Hansard HC Deb (12 December 1979) vol 975, cols 1303-12.
• Viscount Trenchard, HL Deb (12 December 1979) vol 403 cols 1158-66