THE TORY government is refusing to hold any serious negotiations with the rail trade unions for the simple reason that it is introducing anti-strike laws that will remove the right to strike of British workers, and be a strikebreakers’ charter.
The proposed law will require the running of 20% of rail services during strikes and is to be extended right across the public sector, including the NHS.
Unions are expected to take legal action against the anti-strike laws being prepared by Rishi Sunak, amid reports that anti-strike measures will be unveiled when parliament returns this month.
The legislation being looked at by Sunak will extend plans already announced by ministers to enforce minimum service levels on public transport and will then be extended across the public sector to include NHS workers, including ambulance staff, as well as teachers, the border force and the fire service.
Tory ministers are also boasting that they intend to beef up the anti-strike laws that already impose tough conditions. At the moment legal strike actions are only allowed if there is a 50% turnout of union members.
There is however a higher threshold for transport, health and education – needing 40% of all eligible members, not just of those voting, to be in favour, and that requirement is to be extended to all sectors.
Such legislation will put large numbers of trade unionists in prison and is to be introduced shortly after parliament returns on Monday 9 January, though it is highly unlikely to be in place before the summer since the the law will be challenged by unions in court.
A government spokesperson confirmed: ‘Anything we bring forward will rightfully balance the rights of workers to strike with the rights of the public to get on with their daily lives and keep people safe.’ He added: ‘This work is continuing at pace, and further details will be set out in due course.’
Dave Penman, the general secretary of the FDA union, which represents civil servants, said that anti-strike legislation would not solve the problem of low pay that had caused widespread strike action across so many sectors.
‘It would be a political choice for the prime minister, but it’s not going to resolve this,’ he told LBC. ‘Tinkering with what are already some of the most draconian trade union laws in western economies is not going to address the fundamental problems around this.’
Rail union TSSA has accused the government of ‘deliberate deception’ over the ongoing national rail dispute, with the Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, offering only ‘smoke and mirrors’ rather than serious dialogue.
This follows media comments from Harper in which he repeatedly signalled that the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), acting on behalf of the train companies, would not be able to make a higher pay offer without the approval of Ministers.
Harper told the Today Programme on BBC Radio Four that the train companies and unions ‘have to thrash out’ a solution while the TSSA, RMT and ASLEF have consistently said that the government is actively blocking a deal which would end the months’ long dispute on pay, job security and conditions.
The government is waiting to have new draconian anti-trade unions laws in its hands to use!
TSSA Interim General Secretary Frank Ward said: ‘I really wonder what Mark Harper is playing at. The Transport Secretary came into office just a few months ago saying his top priority was solving the rail dispute but his comments today highlight how the government is clipping the wings of the train companies who want to move to a solution.
‘It’s nothing short of a deliberate deception to suggest on the one hand that train operators and unions have to find a solution, while at the same time actively blocking any improvements to a possible deal.
‘It’s time Ministers truly acted in good faith and realised that the smoke and mirrors approach they seem intent on pursuing will only result in further industrial action because our members know their demands are both just and reasonable.’
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said yesterday: ‘Let me be absolutely clear, if the Prime Minister brings forward legislation to make it more difficult for workers to take strike action, the TUC will fight that. We will fight it politically, we will fight it legally as well. We already have a legal challenge to the government.
‘Eleven TUC trade unions are challenging the government’s decision to allow employers to use agency workers to break strikes. We think that the government will be very close to breaking international labour law and we urge the government to withdraw from the brink.’
The government is however proceeding. The TUC must stand up for workers by stating that they will greet any new anti-trade union legislation by calling a general strike to bring down the Tories and bring in a workers government and socialism!
