UK government reveals legislation making strike action harder

The Trade Union Bill provides for limits on mandates for industrial action as well as minimum turnouts in strike ballots and changes to political levies.

The government has said these measures will balance workers’ rights and those of businesses.

But unions have said the changes will make strikes near impossible.

The Conservatives committed themselves to reforming strike laws in May with an announcement in the Queen’s Speech.

They had previously wanted to introduce the measures under the coalition but were blocked by the Liberal Democrats.

Currently, a strike can take place so long as it is backed by a simple majority of union members voting, irrespective of turnout.

However, the bill proposes that strikes affecting “core” public services such as transport, health, schools or the fire service, would require the backing of 40 per cent of eligible union members in order for them to go ahead.

In addition, there would be a minimum 50 per cent turnout needed for strike ballots to be valid as well as time limits on a mandate for industrial action after a ballot.

Other changes will likely see current restrictions on using agency workers to cover for strikers being dropped as well as efforts to deal with the intimidation of non-striking workers.

Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) general secretary Grahame Smith said: “This bill is vindictive, unfair and unnecessary.

“It is an attack on the fundamental human right of workers to withdraw their labour, a right enshrined in international conventions to which the UK is a signatory and which it will now contravene.

“It is a bill that tramples over our civil liberties and should be of concern not just to workers but to everyone who values the right to peaceful protest.”

Mr Smith (pictured) added: “The bill also starts from the false premise that we have a strike problem. We do not. Last year there were only 151 strikes.

“Less than 2 per cent of workers participated in a strike. The days lost due to strikes were less than 3 per cent of the 28.2 million days lost due to work related accidents and ill-health.”

“It is inevitable that this bill will bring unions into conflict with the law.

“It will create a toxic industrial relations atmosphere, particularly as employers are now to be given the green light to employ strike-breakers, creating unnecessary conflict.”