*Trade unions will be free to strike even if most of their members do not vote for one under a new law the Government will propose within weeks.*
*The Telegraph understands that a move to repeal the Trade Union Act 2016, which sets legal thresholds for how much support strike ballots need, will be tabled by mid-October despite a wave of new industrial action.*
*Under the Act, brought in during Lord Cameron’s premiership, at least half of a trade union’s members must take part in strike votes for the walkout to be allowed.*
*The Act also insists that for “important public services” such as the NHS and transport, at least 40 per cent of the union’s total members must have voted for action.*
*Removing both thresholds, as Labour intends to do under its Employment Rights Bill championed by Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, would mean trade unions could launch industrial action with the support of far fewer members.*
spackysteve on
Labour Party helps Labour Unions achieve aims of improving working conditions for working people. In other news, Conservative Party wants to make rich people richer.
cbob-yolo on
Wonder if they will be setting up a union for the Amazon warehouse workers
[deleted] on
[deleted]
callsignhotdog on
We have incredibly restrictive laws about striking. Every time the trains go on strike, you see people post the “Why don’t they just run the service but refuse to take fares?”. That is explicitly banned under current laws, because it’s so effective at building public support.
Grayson81 on
Good.
Workers should have the right to withdraw their labour.
Wages are too low in this country. Anything which hands power back to the workers and helps them to fight for better pay and conditions is a good thing.
sock_with_a_ticket on
Alternative headline – Labour attempt to mitigate regressive, anti-worker legislation introduced by previous Conservative Government.
Tartan_Samurai on
Great news for people, the Trade Union Act 2016 made the UK the toughest country in Europe for Trade Unions to organise effective action against unfair employers.
limaconnect77 on
Teaching unions need to grow some balls and get the pay educators have long deserved for decades. Strike and make things difficult for parents/guardians – that’ll soon pile pressure on the government.
QuantumWarrior on
Good. The level of anti-strike rules and public sentiments that were being fomented under the last government were a very dark omen for the future of worker’s rights.
People should really be taught more of the history of worker’s rights at school given the massive effect your treatment as an employee will have on your life. We don’t have 40 hour weeks, mandatory holidays, jobs for women, weekends etc out of the kindness of the ruling/owner classes after all, people fought hoarse and bloody to earn those rights.
Fudge_is_1337 on
The Telegraph are not enjoying themselves the last few weeks are they
PatternRecogniser on
I have no problem with people who support striking and unions. However, you also have to rescind your right to complain when inflation rises again and, ultimately, your mortgage payments rise with the necessary rate changes. There’s so many people who are ideologically in favour of workers unions and better pay but fail to comprehend the consequences of their belief. Nothing comes for free.
Covenanter1648 on
Typical torygraph, making it easier to strike is just so inaccurate. There would be no strikes if bosses weren’t selfish arseholes who care more about profit than their workers’ lives. This change makes it so workers have greater collective bargaining powers to demand higher wages, lower hours and better conditions, while the tories want people slaving away their lives for a pittance sum of money.
Fuck our tory press, this isn’t free media, this is bought media.
Melissa_Foley on
A breath of fresh air, and frankly, the good news I needed on a cold Monday morning. Solidarity
ApplicationCreepy987 on
And no company should ban the access to union membership
borgol on
Are there any historical cases where a union has led to the downfall of a company?
LostTheGameOfThrones on
Good. The draconian laws we have around striking at the moment serve as nothing more than measures to stop workers fighting for their rights.
shaun2312 on
Run the services better, staff will feel better, staff wont strike.
Simples.
Popeychops on
Love it when the Labour Party does the correct thing without any fuss
ThatGuyMaulicious on
Labour aren’t making it easier the unions told Keir Starmer to make it easier. Striking is important absolutely but when a good chunk of Train drivers are bordering in the top 5% of the highest incomes in the UK people expect to see a gigantic improvement in everything across the board.
20 Comments
[By Ben Riley-Smith](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/08/18/labour-to-make-it-easier-for-unions-to-strike/):
*Trade unions will be free to strike even if most of their members do not vote for one under a new law the Government will propose within weeks.*
*The Telegraph understands that a move to repeal the Trade Union Act 2016, which sets legal thresholds for how much support strike ballots need, will be tabled by mid-October despite a wave of new industrial action.*
*Under the Act, brought in during Lord Cameron’s premiership, at least half of a trade union’s members must take part in strike votes for the walkout to be allowed.*
*The Act also insists that for “important public services” such as the NHS and transport, at least 40 per cent of the union’s total members must have voted for action.*
*Removing both thresholds, as Labour intends to do under its Employment Rights Bill championed by Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, would mean trade unions could launch industrial action with the support of far fewer members.*
Labour Party helps Labour Unions achieve aims of improving working conditions for working people. In other news, Conservative Party wants to make rich people richer.
Wonder if they will be setting up a union for the Amazon warehouse workers
[deleted]
We have incredibly restrictive laws about striking. Every time the trains go on strike, you see people post the “Why don’t they just run the service but refuse to take fares?”. That is explicitly banned under current laws, because it’s so effective at building public support.
Good.
Workers should have the right to withdraw their labour.
Wages are too low in this country. Anything which hands power back to the workers and helps them to fight for better pay and conditions is a good thing.
Alternative headline – Labour attempt to mitigate regressive, anti-worker legislation introduced by previous Conservative Government.
Great news for people, the Trade Union Act 2016 made the UK the toughest country in Europe for Trade Unions to organise effective action against unfair employers.
Teaching unions need to grow some balls and get the pay educators have long deserved for decades. Strike and make things difficult for parents/guardians – that’ll soon pile pressure on the government.
Good. The level of anti-strike rules and public sentiments that were being fomented under the last government were a very dark omen for the future of worker’s rights.
People should really be taught more of the history of worker’s rights at school given the massive effect your treatment as an employee will have on your life. We don’t have 40 hour weeks, mandatory holidays, jobs for women, weekends etc out of the kindness of the ruling/owner classes after all, people fought hoarse and bloody to earn those rights.
The Telegraph are not enjoying themselves the last few weeks are they
I have no problem with people who support striking and unions. However, you also have to rescind your right to complain when inflation rises again and, ultimately, your mortgage payments rise with the necessary rate changes. There’s so many people who are ideologically in favour of workers unions and better pay but fail to comprehend the consequences of their belief. Nothing comes for free.
Typical torygraph, making it easier to strike is just so inaccurate. There would be no strikes if bosses weren’t selfish arseholes who care more about profit than their workers’ lives. This change makes it so workers have greater collective bargaining powers to demand higher wages, lower hours and better conditions, while the tories want people slaving away their lives for a pittance sum of money.
Fuck our tory press, this isn’t free media, this is bought media.
A breath of fresh air, and frankly, the good news I needed on a cold Monday morning. Solidarity
And no company should ban the access to union membership
Are there any historical cases where a union has led to the downfall of a company?
Good. The draconian laws we have around striking at the moment serve as nothing more than measures to stop workers fighting for their rights.
Run the services better, staff will feel better, staff wont strike.
Simples.
Love it when the Labour Party does the correct thing without any fuss
Labour aren’t making it easier the unions told Keir Starmer to make it easier. Striking is important absolutely but when a good chunk of Train drivers are bordering in the top 5% of the highest incomes in the UK people expect to see a gigantic improvement in everything across the board.