New laws will allow government to set minimum levels of service which must be met during strikes ‘to ensure the safety of the public and their access to public services’
- New laws will allow government to set minimum levels of service which must be met during strikes to ensure the safety of the public and their access to public services
- the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill will ensure crucial public services such as rail, ambulances, and fire services maintain a minimum service during industrial action, reducing risk to life and ensuring the public can still get to work
- Business Secretary Grant Shapps said in Parliament today: “We do not want to have to use this legislation unless we have to, but we must ensure the safety of the British public.”
Millions of ‘hard-working’ people across the UK will be protected from disruptive strikes thanks to new laws introduced yesterday, which will allow employers in critical public sectors to maintain minimum levels of service during strikes.
The government is introducing this legislation to ensure that striking workers don’t put the public’s lives at risk and prevent people getting to work, accessing healthcare, and safely going about their daily lives.
The government will first consult on minimum service levels for fire, ambulance, and rail services, recognising the severe disruption that the public faces when these services are impacted by strikes, especially the immediate risk to public safety when blue light services are disrupted.
The government hopes to not have to use these powers for other sectors included in the Bill, such as education, other transport services, border security, other health services and nuclear decommissioning.
The government expects parties in these sectors to reach a sensible and voluntary agreement between each other on delivering a reasonable level of service when there is strike action. This will, however, be kept under review and the Bill gives the government the power to step in and set minimum service levels should that become necessary.
Business Secretary Grant Shapps said: “The first job of any government is to keep the public safe. Because whilst we absolutely believe in the ability to strike, we are duty-bound to protect the lives and livelihoods of the British people.
“I am introducing a bill that will give government the power to ensure that vital public services will have to maintain a basic function, by delivering minimum safety levels ensuring that lives and livelihoods are not lost.
“We do not want to have to use this legislation unless we have to, but we must ensure the safety of the British public.”
The sectors the legislation includes are:
- health services
- education services
- fire and rescue services
- transport services
- decommissioning of nuclear installations and management of radioactive waste and spent fuel
- border security
This principle is already recognised in many countries across the world, such as Italy and Spain, where systems for applying minimum levels during strikes are in place for services the public depend on.
As is the case currently a union will lose its legal protection from damages if it does not comply with the obligations set for them within the legislation.
Yesterday’s reforms come as government ministers are meeting trade unions to discuss fair and affordable public sector pay settlements for 2023 to 2024.
TUC to hold national ‘protect the right to strike’ day on February 1
Union body says it will fight new anti-strike legislation “every step of the way”
- The TUC will hold a national ‘protect the right to strike’ day on Wednesday 1 February.
- The announcement comes following a meeting of trade union leaders yesterday.
- Events will take place in different parts of the country against the Conservative’s new anti-strike legislation.
- Members of the public will be invited to show their support for workers taking action to defend their pay and conditions.
- More information will be provided in the coming weeks about planned activities.
The TUC has vowed to fight the new strike curbs “every step of the way” – including through parliament and the courts. The union body says the government’s new anti-strike plans are unworkable and almost certainly in breach of international law.
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “The right to strike is a fundamental British liberty – but the government is attacking it in broad daylight.
“These draconian new curbs will tilt the balance of power even more in favour of bad bosses and make it harder for people to win better pay and conditions.
“Nobody should lose their job if they take lawful action to win a better deal. But ministers have gone from clapping our key workers to threatening them with the sack.
“Unions will fights these plans every step of the way – including through parliament and through the courts.
“On February the 1st will we hold events across the country against this spiteful new bill – which is unworkable and almost certainly illegal.
“We will call on the general public to show support for workers taking action to defend their pay and conditions, to defend our public services and to protect the fundamental right to strike.”
On the need for the government to follow the example of the private sector, Paul Nowak added: “The government should be following the example of many employers in the private sector who have sat down with unions and agreed fair pay deals.
“But instead ministers are drawing up plans that will succeed only in escalating disputes and driving workers away from wanting to work in our public services.”
TUC polling published in last year revealed that 1 in 3 public servants were taking active steps to leave their professions.
Analysis published by the union body shows:
- Nurses have lost £42,000 in real earnings since 2008 – the equivalent of £3,000 a year
- Midwives have lost £56,000 in real earnings since 2008 – the equivalent of £4,000 a year
- Paramedics have lost £56,000 in real earnings since 2008 – the equivalent of £4,000 a year
And if the government does not improve its pay offer for public servants, public sector pay will fall, on average, by over £100 a month in real terms in 2023.
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