Government presses on with legislation to ‘keep Britain moving’ during strikes

The Government is pressing ahead with legal moves to introduce minimum service levels during strikes by transport workers.

The announcement follows months of industrial action by railway workers in bitter disputes over pay, jobs and conditions which has caused travel chaos across the country.

Unions criticised the move, with many believing it would be unworkable.

Legislation will be introduced following Prime Minister Liz Truss’s commitment to bring in such a Bill within her first 30 days of Parliament sitting.

The Government pointed out that similar legislation already exists in Western Europe, including France and Spain.

The aim is to ensure transport services including rail, tubes and buses cannot be completely shut down when workers go on strike.

The Government said it expects that minimum service levels will come into force in 2023.

A Government source said: “The Government stood on a manifesto commitment to introduce minimum service levels. As we have seen only too often in recent months, it is wrong that strikes are preventing hard-working people and families up and down the country from getting to work, doctors’ appointments and school.

“That is why we are introducing this legislation, to keep Britain moving, ensure people can get to work, earn their own living and grow the economy.”

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “These proposals will undermine the right to strike and this is an attempt to stop transport workers taking action for better pay and conditions.

“The Transport Secretary should stop blocking negotiations so rail employers and unions can reach an agreement in the current dispute.

“But instead Truss and her ministers want to make it harder for workers to win better pay and conditions. It’s a cynical distraction from their own failings.

“The changes are unfair, unworkable and incompatible with our international commitments. Trade unions will oppose them every step of the way.”

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is just another predictable attack on trade unions from a Government that expects the country to take a pay cut. It’s always workers and communities that pay the price”

“We can all see whose side they are on and their long-term direction of travel. Now it is time to start asking the question – who is this economy for?”

“Unite is prepared for all eventualities. We will defend workers.”

Rail, Maritime and Transport union general secretary Mick Lynch said: “Further restrictions on the right to strike will only make it more difficult to reach a negotiated settlement in the national rail dispute.

“We already have the most draconian and restrictive anti-trade union laws in Western Europe.

“Working people are fed up with the Government trying to make them scapegoats for the country’s problems.

“RMT and other unions will not sit idly by or meekly accept any further obstacles on their members exercising the basic human right to withdraw their labour.”

Mick Whelan, general secretary of the train drivers union Aslef, said: “We know that this Tory Government – in disarray as it is after crashing the economy – is determined to drive down wages and do everything it can to prevent ordinary, decent, hard-working men and women protecting their pensions, their terms and conditions at work and their pay. That’s why Liz Truss, although clearly a busted flush, is determined to try to make industrial action ineffective.

“The trouble is that Truss doesn’t understand the way the railway works. The train companies don’t want to run minimum service levels because they know it’s a stupid idea. What happens when 100% of passengers try to get on minimum service level trains? It will look like Japan where they cram people in like cattle and the rolling stock will, next day, be in the wrong place which will mess up the normal timetable.

“The Government claims that similar legislation exists in other European countries, such as Germany, France, and Spain. Yes, it does. But what the Government doesn’t know – or doesn’t choose to say – is that it is not enforced because they know it doesn’t work.

“If the Government does drive this measure through – and it’s not clear that in the current chaos it will be able to do that – it may find that a lot of drivers call in sick on strike days when the Government wants to run a minimum service.”