Far-right Tory government set to approve contested ‘Minimum Service Levels’ Bill attacking trade unions and targeting workers who take part to industrial action and strikes.

London, 24 May 2023 – Tory government led by PM Rishi Sunak is passing a new law allowing employers to sack and dismiss workers in case they take part to strike action when given a notice requesting them to guarantee a basic minimum service requirement during a strike.

As a reaction to the repressive bill, yesterday TUC (Trade Union Congress) gathered its representation and affiliated unions in Parliament Square to protest against the ‘Minimum Service Levels’ Bill (on its way to the Royal Assent after consideration of Lords amendments) and to announce a “mass campaign of workplace disobedience”.

Video 22 May 2023 – The “anti-strike bill” which allows dismissal of workers taking part in #strike actions. (video: Mick Lynch General Sec. @RMTunion addressing the crowd at the really in Parliament Sq #London. (video Talkeurope.org)

Mick Lynch General Secretary of RMT, National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, called the Labour Party leader Keir Starmer to repeal the new law within 100 days after the opposition party will be elected next year. Labour is currently ahead in the polls in view of next general elections scheduled in 2024.

Savanta gives Labour (S&D) at 46% with positive trend leaving Conservatives behind at 29% (Fieldwork: 12-14 May 2023)

Chart Savanta poss via Europe Elects

The text of the new law shows the extent of the attack to the basic right of association and strike bringing Britain back to the eighteen century if the Industrial Revolution when the first trade unions were funded right to protect the workers from exploitation and retaliation strategies from employers.

The definition and scope of the bill hides behind the intention to guarantee minimum services to the public during strikes, a set of repressive and retaliatory measures against workers discriminated against respect to other colleagues based on the fact they are members of a trade union and take part to strikes.

The bill also mentions the costs of industrial actions as second main reason justifying its enforcement and so denying the very core of the economic, social, political and ethical function of trade unions which in fact protect the workforce through strikes and picket lines right to improve work conditions, health, wages, rights of workers to make economy fair and relations between companies who hold power and workers balanced thanks to the fact employees are defended by their unions and c an potentially block the course of production to avert exploitation.

“This Bill was introduced with the intention of balancing the ability to strike with the rights and freedoms of the public, by applying minimum service levels on strike days to protect the lives and livelihoods of the public. We should not ignore the fact that the economic costs of these strikes have been estimated at around £3 billion, and much of that impact falls on business sectors that are already facing difficulties, such as the hospitality sector.”

Emy Muzzi

Talkeurope.org

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