{"id":7684,"date":"2016-02-09T16:23:33","date_gmt":"2016-02-09T16:23:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=7684"},"modified":"2016-02-10T11:04:39","modified_gmt":"2016-02-10T11:04:39","slug":"tory-fears-exposed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=7684","title":{"rendered":"Tory fears exposed"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

The government\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s controversial trade union Bill is starting to unravel, as a recently leaked letter exposed Tory ministers fearing a defeat of the legislation as it passes through the House of Lords.<\/p>\n

 
\nThe letter<\/a>, which was written by skills minister Nick Boles and addressed to Tory ministers Oliver Letwin and Chris Grayling, with prime minister David Cameron and other ministers also copied in, was leaked to the Socialist Worker yesterday<\/a> (February 8).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

‘Deeply unhappy’<\/strong><\/em>
\nIn it, Boles set out a series of concessions that he believed might make the trade union Bill more palatable in the eyes of peers who have lambasted certain measures, such as a blanket ban on check-off in the public sector<\/a> and high thresholds on strike ballots.<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bSecond Reading of the trade union Bill in the House of Lords made clear that a number of Labour and Liberal Democratic peers were deeply unhappy with the bill and were looking to revise the Bill significantly,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Boles wrote.<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe can expect a great many amendments to be tabled and if put to a vote, the Government is likely to suffer defeats,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he added. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThere are areas to the Bill where we could make changes to the Bill, without significantly defeating its primary purpose.<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWhilst I accept that not all proposed concessions will fully address the concerns that were being raised, a willingness to give some ground on certain aspects of the Bill may lead to a less hard line response to the Bill on other issues.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Secure workplace ballotting <\/strong><\/em>
\nBoles suggested a review on e-balloting so that peers do not reject strike ballot threshold clauses, which, as they stand now, will mean that 50 per cent of those entitled to vote must take part in a strike ballot for the strike to be considered lawful. An additional clause requires that, for members in certain public services, 40 per cent of those entitled to vote must vote yes for the strike to be legal.<\/p>\n

 
\nThese measures were originally introduced under the guise of addressing what the government has seen as a problem with low turnouts in strike ballots.<\/p>\n

 
\nBut unions, including Unite, have long said that postal-only strike ballots are outdated and, if reformed, would increase turnout dramatically.<\/p>\n

 
\nIn his suggested concession, however, Boles implied that the government should have no intention of actually reforming postal balloting.<\/p>\n

 
\nIn the letter, he noted that the government should merely \u00e2\u20ac\u015bpropose committing to a review charged with looking into alternative methods for union ballots\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 but went on to emphasise that there should be no explicit timeline on when the review should report.<\/p>\n

 
\nUnite has long called for secure workplace balloting to replace a postal-only system.<\/p>\n

 
\nToday (February 9), Unite general secretary Len McCluskey warned members of the House of Lords against \u00e2\u20ac\u015bfalling for the government\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s empty promises and accepting what is still an undemocratic and ideologically driven bill\u00e2\u20ac\u0165.<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe only way to increase participation in industrial action ballots is by using secure workplace balloting,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he argued. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a method used frequently over the last decade by the government\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s own Central Arbitration Committee in workplaces where trade unions are seeking recognition. During that period there has not been one case of irregularity.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bA review with unknown dates and unknown outcomes, which doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t include secure workplace balloting will not address the issue of increasing participation,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 McCluskey added.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

‘Ludicrous situation’
\n<\/strong><\/em>
\nBoles also urged the Tory ministers to make concessions to the devolved governments of Wales and Scotland, including establishing a legal duty to consult both governments on certain aspects of the Bill, as well as allowing them to retain public sector check-off arrangements, while not extending such concessions to England.<\/p>\n

 
\nMcCluskey, too, warned peers about these concessions, noting that \u00e2\u20ac\u015bmembers of the House of Lords need to be alert to government ministers leaving English workers with fewer rights than Scottish and Welsh workers through the imposition of undemocratic thresholds and removal of check-off.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt would lead to the ludicrous situation of a refuse collector in Carlisle having fewer protections than their colleague working for the same company in Stranraer and give firms the headache of needless red tape to implement,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Political fund <\/strong><\/em>
\nOther changes to the trade union Bill that Boles suggested in his letter including ending the requirement that a picket line supervisor wear an armband to identify himself, and altering the way in which trade union members can opt in to trade unions\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 political funds.<\/p>\n

 
\nThe Bill as it stands now would require members to opt in to the political fund\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a measure that replaces the current provision that members can simply opt out of the political fund.<\/p>\n

 
\nMinisters and trade unions have argued<\/a> that this is an underhanded and partisan move to starve the Labour party of political funding. To settle this concern, Boles has suggesting allowing members to opt-in via email rather than only by post or by hand in order to make the process easier.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Not far enough<\/strong><\/em>
\nTUC general secretary Frances O\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Grady highlighted that the TUC \u00e2\u20ac\u015bcontinues to oppose the trade union Bill in its entirety.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bHowever,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she noted, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bwe are pleased that ministers recognise that large parts of it are not fit for purpose.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThis letter exposes the huge legal and constitutional problems the Bill will face if it is to come into law in Scotland and Wales,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she added. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bAnd it recognises the independence of the Certification Officer is under threat.<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe changes discussed in this correspondence are important. However, they do not go far enough.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 
\nLen McCluskey also stressed that the proposed changes fall short.<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWhile the concessions in the leaked letter point to a realisation among ministers to growing opposition to the bill, they don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t address the fundamental thrust of this ideological and hated bill,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

 
\nLine by line examination of the trade union Bill began yesterday (February 8) at committee stage in the House of Lords. The Committee stage will continue tomorrow (February 10).<\/p>\n

 
\nThe leaked letter revealing that the Tory government may be prepared to back down on the Bill comes during Heart Unions week, in which members celebrate their trade union as they reject the government\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s attempts to destroy the central representative institution for working people.<\/p>\n

 
\nFind out how you can get involved in Heart Unions week here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The government\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s controversial trade union Bill is starting to unravel, as a recently leaked letter exposed Tory ministers fearing a defeat of the legislation as it passes through the House of Lords.   The letter, which was written by skills minister Nick Boles and addressed to Tory ministers Oliver Letwin and Chris Grayling, with prime […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4292,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[17],"tags":[483,344],"wps_subtitle":"Letter reveals ministers' panic over TU Bill opposition","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7684"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7684"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7684\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7685,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7684\/revisions\/7685"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}