1 in 4 workers’ right to strike at risk in West Midlands

because of the government’s anti-strikes bill

NEW ANALYSIS: Around 1 in 4 (23%) workers in the West Midlands have their right to strike threatened by the Strikes Bill

The TUC has warned that the right to strike of a massive 1 in 4 workers (23%) in the West Midlands is at risk because of the Conservative government’s Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill.

Those 552,000 workers in the West Midlands have their right to strike threatened because – if passed unamended – the Bill will mean that when workers lawfully vote to strike in health, education, fire, transport, border security and nuclear decommissioning, they could be forced to attend work – and sacked if they don’t comply.

The TUC says the Bill allows for minimum service levels to be “dictated from Whitehall” rather than taking account of local circumstances.

Across England, Scotland and Wales, 5.5 million workers could be affected by the legislation. Workers in Northern Ireland aren’t subject to the Bill.

The TUC says Conservative MPs have a chance to show “whose side they are on” and stop frontline workers being sacked for exercising the right to strike.

Last month, four key amendments were made to the Bill in the House of Lords – including stopping frontline workers from getting sacked for exercising their right to strike – but MPs rejected them.

Protect the right to strike

The TUC says the Conservative government must drop the Strikes Bill in its entirety and protect the right to strike.

And the EHRC recently warned that the legislation could see all striking workers in affected sectors losing their unfair dismissal protection as whole strikes could be deemed illegal.

The union body says the UK government has failed to come clean about the draconian nature of the Bill – and has accused ministers of “shortcutting” normal scrutiny procedures by “ramming” the Bill through the parliament.

The Bill will give ministers the power to impose new minimum service levels through regulation.

But MPs have been given few details on how minimum service levels are intended to operate.

The House of Lords Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee recently criticised the Bill for giving blanket powers to UK ministers while providing virtually no detail.

The Bill has faced a barrage of criticism from civil liberties organisations, the joint committee on human rights, House of Lords Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee, race and gender equalities groups, employment rights lawyers, politicians around the world – and a whole host of other organisations.

Lee Barron, TUC Midlands Regional Secretary said:

“It’s time for ministers to protect the right to strike and ditch this Bill for good.

“This spiteful Bill threatens the right to strike of 1 in 4 workers in the West Midlands

“No one should be sacked for trying to win a better deal at work.

“But this draconian legislation would mean that when workers democratically vote to strike, they could be forced to work and sacked if they don’t comply.

“It’s undemocratic, it’s unworkable and it’s very likely illegal.

“With inflation still running at over 10%, the last thing workers need is for ministers to make it harder to secure better pay and conditions.

“ Conservative MPs must do the right thing and oppose government plans to sack frontline workers for exercising their right to strike.”

-Methodology: This analysis uses the October to December 2022 figures from the Quarterly Labour Survey for employees in England, Wales and Scotland. It includes total figures of those working in health service activities, fire service activities, education, transport, nuclear decommissioning and border security (the sectors named in the Bill). This is used to calculate the total number working in industries affected by the bill in England, Wales and Scotland.

West Midlands

UK Total

All in emp

2426007

28318431

Health services

86 Human health activities

227654

2361216

Fire and rescue

84.25 Fire service activities

2252

56013

Education

85.10 Pre-primary education

18488

163074

85.20 Primary education

91198

1088627

85.31 General secondary education

74684

815105

85.32 Techl and vocational secondary educ

10822

87808

Total education

195192

2154614

Transport

49 Land transport inc via pipelines

55186

502115

50 Water transport

2160

49935

51 Air transport

4246

58012

52 Warehousing & support for transport

60547

416362

Total transport

122139

1026424

Decomissioning of nuclear installations etc

38.22 Treatmnt & disp of hazrdous waste

798

15757

39.00 Remdiatn actv & oth wste mgmt serv

4633

33023

Total nuclear

5431

48780

Border security*

84.24 Public order and safety activities

35535

375649

Total in industries covered by bill

552668

5647047

As % of employees

23

20