This anti-union legislation means that when workers democratically vote to strike, they could be forced to work and sacked if they don’t. That’s wrong, unworkable, and almost certainly illegal. These new laws are a direct attack on working people’s fundamental right to strike to defend their pay and other terms and conditions. The TUC petition can be signed at:
www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/protect-the-right-to-strike
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “The Government is trying to introduce rules to make it much more difficult for union members to take strike action. Going on strike is always a last resort for any worker. However, the threat of strike action helps to focus the mind of employers on reaching an agreement in negotiations. As such, it is essential that we protect the right to strike.
“Usdaw is working with other unions through the TUC to fight the Government’s plans and we are urging our members to join the campaign by signing the petition. In the middle of a cost of living emergency the Government has the wrong priorities as they fast-track this legislation, which amounts to nothing more that an ideological attacks on workers’ rights.
“Instead of undermining trade union members, the Government should be working with trade unions on how to eliminate low-pay and insecure work and they would do well to adopt Labour’s New Deal for Workers. The Tories promised to ‘level up’ and ‘build back better’ after the pandemic, but instead ministers are disgracefully seeking new ways to make it harder for working people to bargain for better pay and conditions.
“So we urge MPs to vote against the anti-strike legislation being debated in the House of Commons on 30 January. The Government should be focussed on negotiating settlements not undermining workers’ rights with unwanted legislation that is undemocratic, unworkable and probably illegal.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades.
TUC protect the right to strike campaign: www.tuc.org.uk/ProtectRightToStrike
Labour’s New Deal for Workers: www.usdaw.org.uk/LaboursNDW
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter
@UsdawUnion