Let’s be clear. These Conservative anti-strike laws are a dog’s dinner – they’re shambolic and unworkable and will frustrate employers, workers and unions alike.
Paul Nowak is the General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress
MPs are to consider further draconian restrictions on the right to strike in the form of compulsory minimum service levels during strike action in ambulance service, rail and the border force.
Also in front of the House of Commons is a code of practice that seeks to force unions to act as the employer’s policeman.
In their rush to attack unions, ministers are even attempting to sneak in further anti-union restrictions, including absurd rules on picketing.
Let’s be clear. These Conservative anti-strike laws are a dog’s dinner – they’re shambolic and unworkable and will frustrate employers, workers and unions alike.
Rather than dealing with the problems working people face, the government is trying to tie unions up in more red tape.
And these new laws will stoke tensions between employers and workers, poison industrial relations and drag out disputes.
Regulations for minimum service levels have now been laid in rail, the ambulance service and border security. Ministers are also consulting on rules affecting workers in hospital settings, schools, universities and fire services.
The government has said regulations for the pernicious Strikes Act will be rushed into force by the end of the year.
A massive 1 in 5 workers in Britain – or 5.5 million workers – are at risk of losing their right to strike.
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