Letter from Mark Langabeer (Unite Community member)
The latest round of anti-union laws is an attack on the right of workers to take industrial action.
They are aimed at workers in health, education, fire, transport, nuclear and border force workers. The Tories claim that a minimum service is required to prevent disruption and use terms such as ‘holding the country to ransom’. They also claim that a minimum service is required to preserve safety and in life threatening situations.
The real motive of the Tories is to weaken further the bargaining power of organised Labour. It was often stated that the unions were weak. The Tories would often brag about it. The recent upsurge in strikes in both the private and public sector have proven this view to be false. The unions are, potentially, the most powerful force in British society.
Refuse
The government wish for a minimum service but fail to indicate what that actually means. The Tories and their friends in big business want to consult on what constitutes a ‘minimum service’. The Trade Union Movement must refuse to enter these ‘consultations ‘ and expect every member to support a successful strike ballot. Only in emergency situations would the need arise for service cover. This should be done by voluntary agreements, as it is already.
Despite the Tory claim that minimum services are a legal requirement in many European countries, the current laws in Britain are more restrictive than in any other EU state. It’s time that the Labour Movement adopted a programme of non-cooperation with minimum service provisions.
A Special TUC conference must be called which can map out a programme of resistance to the new anti-union laws.
