Government unveils anti-strike laws
Matthew Pinto-Chilcott, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “As the strikes continual and the various news channels are reporting updates, here is the latest that we have heard and now await the outcome and whether a change in the law will happen., although this will not affect the current planned strikes.”
NEWS ARTICLE – Government unveils anti-strike laws
The UK government has introduced new laws which will allow ministers to set minimum levels of service which must be met during strikes. Under the laws, which are aimed at ensuring the safety of the public and their access to public services, ministers would make regulations determining the minimum number of people required to continue working during strikes. Employers would then be able to draw up a list of their staff who would have to come into work, and if they refused they could be subject to disciplinary action and may be fired. The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill was originally intended only to apply to the railways, but the new version tabled in Parliament is much broader in scope, applying in principle to anyone working in health, education, transport, fire and rescue, border security or nuclear waste – a total of more than six million of Britain’s 30m workers. Paul Nowak, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, described the measures as “undemocratic, unworkable and illegal.” He warned that if the proposals became law, the legislation would “prolong disputes and poison industrial relations – leading to more frequent strikes.” Business Secretary Grant Shapps said the proposed legislation was similar to existing laws in other modern European economies and it was not designed to ban strikes.
The Guardian
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