Union fury over threat to right to strike, as rail dispute hits millions

‘Fierce and prolonged resistance’: Clampdown on industrial action branded anti-democratic

Unions have warned of “fierce and prolonged resistance” if the new Conservative prime minister clamps down on the right to strike, as the latest round of industrial action caused delays to millions of rail travellers.

There was a furious reaction to a set of “draconian” proposals for new restrictions set out by transport secretary Grant Shapps in response to the walkout by members of the RMT rail union.

Mr Shapps’ package – which includes a 60-day cooling-off period after each strike – goes further than the tightening of the law promised by leadership candidate Liz Truss, which has already sparked warnings of a general strike.

It comes amid expectations of a “summer of discontent” as workers ranging from nurses to postmen and barristers protest the failure of pay to keep pace with inflation, which is expected to reach 11 per cent by the end of the year.

But the transport secretary’s proposals were dismissed as “pie-in-the-sky” by Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner, who said they would put public safety at risk and inflame disputes.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph today, Mr Shapps – a prominent supporter of Rishi Sunak’s bid to succeed Boris Johnson as PM – said he wanted to complete the “unfinished business” of Margaret Thatcher by reining in union power.

After legislating to allow the use of agency workers as strike-breakers, he said he wanted a slew of additional measures, including:

- A ban on strikes by different unions in the same workplace within a set period.

- A limit of six pickets at critical sites and a ban on intimidatory language.

- Requirements for new ballots on every bout of industrial action, with specific reasons and format for action spelt out and a minimum 50 per cent threshold, compared to 40 per cent of those eligible to vote now.

- A right for employers to respond to issues cited on ballot papers and an increase in the minimum notice for strike action from two to four weeks.

- Minimum service levels during strike action on critical infrastructrure, like the railways.

“The default strategy adopted by the RMT and others in industrial relations - their casual, habitual, brutal resort to the strike weapon - must end,” said Mr Shapps. “Only then will this country progress to a high-productivity, high-wage 21stcentury economy benefitting all workers.”

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady described Mr Shapps’s package as “an attack on the fundamental right to strike… anti-democratic and anti-worker.”

"While millions are struggling to get by, ministers are falling over themselves to try to find new ways to limit workers’ ability to bargain for higher pay,” she said.

"It’s time for the transport secretary to focus on ending this dispute instead of looking for new ways to distract from his failure.”

And Ms Rayner said: “Instead of resolving strikes, Grant Shapps is dreaming up anti-worker laws that have no place in a modern country.

“His pie-in-the-sky ‘prescription’ risks public safety, strips away rights and inflames disputes. If he were a doctor, he’d be struck off.”

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “If Grant Shapps had his way we would all still be in the workhouse.

“Whilst this outbreak is clearly framed by a fashion parade within the Conservative Party, it is also deeply serious and shows just how out of touch our political class are.

Describing the current cost-of-living crisis as “the latest episode in a long-term war on the living standards of workers”, Ms Graham said: “I will not apologise for demanding and winning fair pay rises for my members and any action to effectively remove the ability to strike will be met with fierce and prolonged resistance.”

And the leader of the Unison union,Christina McAnea, accused ministers of wanting to “turn the clock back to Victorian times when children were sent up chimneys and working people ruthlessly exploited”.

“Curbing the right of employees to strike would be the green light for a return to the worst workplace abuses of the past,” said Ms McAnea.

“Disputes should be a red warning to Government that key services are being mismanaged. Instead of ramping up the rhetoric, ministers must talk to unions and work out ways to fix the problems together.”

Earlier this week, Ms Truss promised “tough action to prevent trade unions from paralysing the country” if she becomes PM, including legislation to be introduced within 30 days to impose minimum service levels on critical national infrastructure.

She also promised to raise ballot thresholds from 40 to 50 per cent to make it more difficult for union bosses to secure support for industrial action.

RMT leader Mick Lynch said Ms Truss’s proposals would “effectively outlaw collective action”.

“I think that’s a turn to the extreme right on behalf of the Conservatives, and they’re playing to their reactionary base,” said Mr Lynch. “I think there will be an enormous response from the trade union movement.”

Mr Lynch told the i newspaper that he would back a general strike if Ms Truss’s plans went ahead, but acknowledged that this would be a decision for the TUC.