‘Ideology and sheer spite’

The trade union Bill is an attack on basic freedoms, public safety and will do lasting damage to industrial relations the TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady has told a packed rally in London today (November 2).

She urged MPs to listen to the workers lobbying them today and vote the reject the measures.

“The trade union Bill is an affront to all fair-minded democrats and a fundamental attack on the right to strike” she told the rally. “This Bill is both undemocratic and a threat to public safety,” she said.

“Because how can it be fair to fine unions up to £20,000 if they don’t give two weeks’ notice about what they are going to put on Twitter and Facebook during a strike? And how can it be safe to allow untrained agency workers to be used to break strikes?

Ill-thought

“This ill-thought through legislation is, in the words of the government’s own watchdog, “not fit for purpose. Good employers agree that instead of picking a fight with six million workers ministers should be focused on building a stronger economy that delivers better jobs and wages for all.”

Howard Beckett, Unite’s Director of legal services agreed. He told UniteLive, “There is no evidence that this legislation is needed. It is driven by ideology and elements of it by sheer spite.

“This government seems determined to treat workers as an industrial commodity, and remove the most basic of employment rights- the right to deny labour. This legislation isn’t a throwback to the Tory government of 1979 it is a throwback to Victorian times.

“It is clearly left for the trade unions to remind this government that workers are not commodities to be used and discarded at will.”

Howard Beckett said the legislation paves the way for a more aggressive role by the trade union certification officer who will be government appointed.

Under the legislation there would be considerable additional powers for a Certification Officer to launch harassing attacks against unions.

Says Howard, “The Certification Officer will have the powers to accept complaints from anyone or initiate their own investigation.

No legal training

“The role will require no legal training and will be a government appointment. This is all part of an attempt to minimise the role of trade unions and to police the movement in a way no other democratic organisations face.

“The current Certification Officer is a good and independent person, but after him there can be little doubt the legislation is intended to allow a government appointment.”

Women’s input

As part of its campaign the TUC has placed adverts on billboards across the UK telling the stories of workers who have taken strike action – and has focused on the input of women.

Daisy Bata is a cinema worker who took strike action to secure the living wage.

Natalie Linder – a midwife who took strike action last year, for the first time in her working life and the first time in the history of her union, after the government refused to give her and colleagues a modest one per cent pay rise.

London firefighter Lucy Masoud, took strike action against government plans that would see she and her colleagues enter burning buildings well into their sixties.

The trade union Bill is up for its report stage and third reading in the Commons on November 10.