Trade Union Strike Laws

I hail from a family of trade unions and believe unions to be a valuable movement in British society. Dedicated trade unionists have a strong history of working hard to represent their members, campaigning for improved safety at work and giving support to their members when it's needed.

However, in recognising the history and success of the movement, I also believe that it is only fair that the rights of unions are balanced with the rights of hardworking taxpayers who rely on key public services.

It is wrong that politicised union leaders can hold the country to ransom with demands that only a small percentage of their members voted for; causing misery for millions of people and harming our economy too. By way of example, I was impacted by a strike at my daughter's school by the National Union of Teachers. In the ballot, only 27% of the membership voted meaning that only 23% of the membership actually voted for strike action. The impact on parents and children was immense.

As such, I am glad the Government will rebalance the interest of employers, employees, the public and the rights of trade unions by introducing a 50 per cent voting threshold for union ballot turnouts. The requirement for there to be a simple majority of votes in favour would remain. To tackle the disproportionate impact of strikes in essential public services such as health, education, fire and transport, a requirement will be introduced in addition to the 50 per cent minimum voting turnout so that 40 per cent of those entitled to vote must vote in favour of industrial action for it to take place. Action will also be taken to ensure strikes cannot be called on the basis of ballots conducted years before.

Far from undermining unions, I believe these changes will act to legitimise genuine staff grievances and lead to a more likely outcome of a successful resolution due to the movement mandate being behind it.

Of other measures, the Government will also introduce a transparent opt-in process for union subscriptions to political funds. Political donations should always be voluntary, as they are in any walk of life, and this will help ensure that is the case.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me. I did ensure that I attended the debate in Parliament in order to satisfy myself on all clauses within the bill.