The Labour Party has pledged to rip up strike laws if it comes to power, making it
easier for unions to take industrial action.
Sir Keir Starmer will repeal the 2016 Trade Union Act, which imposes a series of
conditions on unions that want to go on strike.
These include stipulations that industrial ballots must attract a 50 per cent turnout in
order for their results to be legally valid. Those working in "important" public
services - including in the health, education and transport sectors - have to reach an
additional threshold of 40 per cent support among those eligible to vote.
The legislation also dictates that unions must give two weeks' notice before they
walk out - rather than one - to give employers more time to prepare ways to limit
disruption.
A Labour spokesman said the party would repeal the "archaic" 2016 legislation,
which could make it easier for strike ballots to take place.
They added that there wereother "unnecessary elements" in trade union legislation
that they would look to axe if elected.
"One example would be online balloting, not allowing online balloting, we don't
think that's practical, we think it's costly and we think that's unnecessary," the
spokesman said.
And they added that Labour would oppose the Government's "unworkable"
minimum service levels legislation - designed to ensure that a skeleton service
continues to run on strike days.
"Sir Keir thinks his bosses are the union barons'
Nadhim Zahawi, the Conservative Party chairman, said it "beggars belief that Labour
wants to relax laws to make it easier for their union paymasters to strike".
He added: "The 2016 Trade Union Act introduced minimum turnout thresholds for
strike action and Starmer's plan to scrap it would be a green light for Labour's
militant union backers to hold the country to ransom.
"Once again Sir Keir reveals he thinks his bosses are the union barons and not the
great British public."
It comes as a new analysis of Electoral Commission figures reveal that unions
"holding the country to ransom this Christmas" have donated €15 million to the
Labour Party in the two-and-a-half years of Sir Keir's leadership.
In total. trade unions have donated over €15 million to the Labour Party,
constituency Labour parties and MPs since Sir Keir became leader, according to the
Tory party's analysis. This includes over £3 million each from Unite, Unison and
GMB who represent striking ambulance workers.
On Wednesday, Prospect, a union which represents tens of thousands of civil
servants, announced that an indicative ballot of its members showed strong support
for industrial action.
Mike Clancy, its general secretary, said that unless the Government agreed to lift the
cap of thee per cent on pay rises and abandon plans to slash redundancy terms, they
will move to formal ballots in the new year.