This is a joint statement signed by 121 politicians from 18 countries condemning the UK government's attack on the right to strike via their draconian piece of legislation: The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill 2023.
The government wants to rush through Parliament this new law that could undermine workers’ ability to take strike action to defend their pay and conditions. Details of the Bill can be read here
It allows Ministers to write regulations in any services within six sectors (health, education, fire and rescue, border force, nuclear decommissioning and transport) that will force workers to work during strike action.
Employers will then issue work notices naming who has to work and what they must do.
Workers could be sacked and unions face huge damages if they fail to comply.
First in the firing line will be ambulance, fire and rail workers, with the government seeking to ram through new rules by the summer.
The TUC believes this new law is undemocratic by forcing workers to cross picket lines even if they have voted to strike in a legal ballot. It is counter-productive: the government’s own analysis has warned that it could lead to more strikes.
And it ignores the steps that workers already take to ensure that life-and-limb cover is in place during industrial action.
Workers could be sacked
Workers could now be sacked for taking strike action that has been agreed in a democratic ballot.
If a person specified in their employer's work notice continues to take strike action despite being required to work during the strike, they will lose their protection from automatic unfair dismissal.
This currently applies for first 12 weeks of a strike.
This is a gross infringement of individuals’ freedom.
It is also a U-turn on ministers’ initial pledge to protect individuals from penalties.
The significant risk of dismissal for workers who speak up about their pay and conditions will do nothing to resolve staffing shortages in public services.
Unions might have to pay large damages
The Bill says a union must take “reasonable steps” to ensure that all its members identified in the work notice do not take part in the strike action.
If it doesn’t it, the union could face an injunction to stop the strike or have to pay damages of up to £1mmillion. These costs come out of the Union members’ subscriptions. It does not even state waht is meant by "reasonable steps"
The TUC also believes that forcing unions to send their members across picket lines is a significant infringement of their freedoms.
Probably against international law
Ministers claim they are following similar systems in France, Spain and Italy.
But European unions disagree.
The European Trades Union Congress says:
“The UK already has among the most draconian restrictions on the right to strike in Europe, and the UK government’s plans would push it even further away from normal, democratic practice across Europe.”
Every working person is under attack from these new laws. Add your name and join the campaign. We must defend the right to strike.
Furthermore, 18 countires have publically condemned the UK Government for this draconean attack on Trade Unions and their members rights.
Statement on UK workers’ rights from international politicians
Issue date:
25 Apr 2023
This is a joint statement signed by 121 politicians from 18 countries condemning the UK government's attack on the right to strike.
As elected politicians from around the world, we, the undersigned, reject the UK government’s attempt to limit workers’ rights and its attempt to justify it with comparisons to international norms. The UK already has some of the most draconian restrictions on trade unions anywhere in the democratic world and workers in the UK are faced with disproportionate regulatory hurdles before participation in a strike can be considered legal.
Despite this, the UK government is set on further rolling back worker protections and freedoms.
The government’s proposed legislation, the ‘Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill’, is attempting to bring in new top-down powers which would allow them to impose an arbitrary level of service on a broad range of sectors. These new powers will allow the government to force union members to go into work on strike days under threat of dismissal.
The right to strike is guaranteed in international law by a succession of important treaties. These include the International Labour Organisation's convention on the right to organise and bargain collectively of 1948, which the British government was the first to ratify; followed by the Council of Europe's social charter of 1961, of which Britain is still a member and which the British government was the first to ratify; followed, in turn, by the UN's international covenant on economic, social and cultural rights of 1966.
The ability for people to collectively withdraw their labour is a fundamental right in a democratic society. The right to strike is not just a bargaining tool to protect workers, it is also a safeguard on democracy itself.
We support the Trades Union Congress in calling on the UK government to abandon this bill.
Signatories:
Australia:
David Smith, Australian Labor Party, Australia.
Graham Perrett, Australian Labor Party, Australia.
Glenn Sterle, Australian Labor Party, Australia.
Tony Sheldon, Australian Labor Party, Australia.
Austria:
Andreas Schieder, SPÖ, Austria.
Evelyn Regner, SPÖ, Austria.
Belgium:
Cindy Franssen, CD&V, Belgium.
Sara Matthieu, Groen, Belgium.
Malik Ben Achour, Parti socialiste, Belgium.
Marc Botenga, PTB-PVDA, Belgium.
Finland:
Kim Berg, SDP, Finland.
Eero Heinäluoma, SDP, Finland.
France:
Mounir Satouri, Europe Écologie, France.
Emmanuel Maurel, Gauche Républicaine et Socialiste, France.
Leïla Chaibi, La France Insoumise, France.
Manon Aubry, La France Insoumise, France.
Marina Mesure, La France Insoumise, France.
Pierre Larrouturou, Nouvelle Donne, France.
Aurore Lalucq, Place publique, France.
Germany:
Dennis Radtke, Christlich Demokratische, Germany.
Beate Müller-Gemmeke, Die Grünen, Germany.
Reinhard Bütikofer, Die Grünen, Germany.
Terry Reintke, Die Grünen, Germany.
Pascal Meiser, Die Linke, Germany.
Susanne Ferschl, Die Linke, Germany.
Helmut Scholz, Die Linke, Germany.
Bernd Rützel, SDP, Germany.
Dagmar Schmidt, SDP, Germany.
Jens Peick, SDP, Germany.
Martin Rosemann, SDP, Germany.
Takis Mehmet Ali, SDP, Germany.
Dietmar Köster, SDP, Germany.
Tiemo Wölken, SDP, Germany.
Gabriele Bischoff, SPD, Germany.
Katarina Barley, SPD, Germany.
Hungary:
Klara Dobrev, Demokratikus Koalíció , Hungary.
Ireland:
Alan Kelly, Labour Party of Ireland, Ireland.
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Labour Party of Ireland, Ireland.
Brendan Howlin, Labour Party of Ireland, Ireland.
Duncan Smith, Labour Party of Ireland, Ireland.
Ged Nash, Labour Party of Ireland, Ireland.
Ivana Bacik, Labour Party of Ireland, Ireland.
Seán Sherlock, Labour Party of Ireland, Ireland.
Annie Hoey, Labour Party of Ireland, Ireland.
Marie Sherlock, Labour Party of Ireland, Ireland.
Mark Wall, Labour Party of Ireland, Ireland.
Rebecca Moynihan, Labour Party of Ireland, Ireland.
Brid Smith, People Before Profit/Solidarity, Ireland.
Gino Kenny, People Before Profit/Solidarity, Ireland.
Paul Murphy, People Before Profit/Solidarity, Ireland.
Louise O’Reilly, Sinn Féin, Ireland. Speaking on behalf of the entire Sinn Féin parliamentary party.
Catherine Murphy, Social Democrats, Ireland.
Cian O'Callaghan, Social Democrats, Ireland.
Gary Gannon, Social Democrats, Ireland.
Holly Cairns, Social Democrats, Ireland.
Roisin Shortall, Social Democrats, Ireland.
Italy:
Giuseppe Conte, M5S, Italy. Secretary of M5S and former Prime Minister of Italy.
Chiara Braga, Partito Democratico, Italy. Head of PD delegation to the Chamber of Deputies.
Andrea Orlando, Partito Democratico, Italy. Minister of Labour 2021 - 2022.
Beatrice Covassi, Partito Democratico, Italy.
Brando Benifei, Partito Democratico, Italy.
Elisabetta Gualmini, Partito Democratico, Italy.
Francesco Boccia, Partito Democratico, Italy. Head of PD delegation to the Senate.
Nicola Fratoianni, Sinistra Italiana, Italy. Secretary of Sinistra Italiana.
Giuseppe De Cristofaro, Sinistra Italiana. Italy. Head of SI-Verdi delegation to the Senate.
Luana Zanella, Verdi, Italy. Head of SI-Verdi delegation to the Chamber of Deputies.
Luxembourg:
Marc Angel, LSAP/PSOL, Luxembourg.
Malta:
Alex Agius Saliba, Partit Laburista, Malta.
Cyrus Engerer, Partit Laburista, Malta.
Netherlands:
Agnes Jongerius, Partij van de Arbeid, Netherlands.
Thijs Reuten, Partij van de Arbeid, Netherlands.
Vera Tax, Partij van de Arbeid, Netherlands.
Portugal:
Adrian Zandberg, Razem Party, Poland. Co-Chairman of the Left Coalition and Chairman of the Razem Party.
Daria Gosek-Popiołek, Razem Party, Poland.
Maciej Konieczny, Razem Party, Poland.
Magdalena Biejat, Razem Party, Poland.
Marcelina Zawisza, Razem Party, Poland.
Paulina Matysiak, Razem Party, Poland.
José Gusmao, Bloco de Esquerda, Portugal.
Marisa Matias, Bloco de Esquerda, Portugal.
Joao Albuquerque, Partido Socialista, Portugal.
Slovakia
Katarína Roth Nevedalova, SMER-Sociálna Demokracia, Slovakia.
Slovenia:
Milan Brglez, Socialni Demokrati, Slovenia.
Spain:
Manu Pineda, Izquierda Unida, Spain.
Sira Rego, Izquierda Unida, Spain.
Íñigo Errejón Galván, Más País, Spain.
Idoia Villanueva Ruíz, Podemos, Spain.
Maria Eugenia Rodriguez Palop, Podemos, Spain.
Estrella Durá, PSOE, Spain.
Alejandro José Zubeldía Santoyo, PSOE, Spain.
Alfonso Muñoz Cuenca, PSOE, Spain.
Antonio Ferrer Sais, PSOE, Spain. Chairman of the Senate Labour Commission.
Artemi Vicent Rallo Lombarte, PSOE, Spain.
Donelia Roldán Martínez, PSOE, Spain.
Estefanía Martín Palop, PSOE, Spain.
Jesús González Márquez, PSOE, Spain.
Josefa González Bayo, PSOE, Spain.
Juan Antonio Gilabert Sánchez, PSOE, Spain.
Julia Liberal Liberal, PSOE, Spain.
María de los Angeles Luna Morales, PSOE, Spain.
María Ascensión Godoy Tena, PSOE, Spain.
María del Mar Arnaíz García, PSOE, Spain.
Micaela Navarro Garzón, PSOE, Spain.
Olivia María Delgado Oval, PSOE, Spain.
Rafael Ramirez Gutiérrez, PSOE, Spain.
Rosa María Aldea Gómez, PSOE, Spain.
Ruben Marco Villacampa Arilla, PSOE, Spain.
Aina Vidal, Unidas Podemos-En Comú Podem-Galicia en Común, Spain.
Mercedes Pérez , Unidas Podemos-En Comú Podem-Galicia en Común, Spain.
Pedro Honrubia, Unidas Podemos-En Comú Podem-Galicia en Común, Spain.
Rafael Mayoral, Unidas Podemos-En Comú Podem-Galicia en Común, Spain.
Roberto Uriarte, Unidas Podemos-En Comú Podem-Galicia en Común, Spain.
Enrique Santiago, Unidas Podemos-En Comú Podem-Galicia en Común, Spain. Deputy spokesman for the parliamentary group of Unidas Podemos-En Comú Podem-Galicia en Común.
Gerardo Pisarello, Unidas Podemos-En Comú Podem-Galicia en Común, Spain. First secretary of the Congress of Deputies.
Jaume Asens, Unidas Podemos-En Comú Podem-Galicia en Común, Spain. President of the parliamentary group of Unidas Podemos-En Comú Podem-Galicia en Común.
Sweden:
Carina Ohlsson, SAP, Sweden.
Erik Bergkvist, SAP, Sweden.
Evin Incir, SAP, Sweden.
Heléne Fritzon, SAP, Sweden.
Ilan De Basso, SAP, Sweden.
Malin Björk, Vänsterpartiet, Sweden.
Source: TUC / ETUC
