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