Laws on union strike threshold set to be scrapped

Laws stipulating what proportion of union members have to vote for strike action in order for it to be legal are set to be scrapped.

It is understood that the government intends to go ahead with its pledge to repeal the Trade Union Act as part of its wider shake-up of workers’ rights.

There are reports the bill will be tabled by mid-October.

Senior Tories have been critical of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer over recent pay offers to train drivers and junior doctors, accusing him of being beholden to the unions.

Shadow Home Secretary James Cleverly recently accused the government of being “played by its union paymasters”, while Labour said it was merely making good on its election promises.

When the Tory government passed the Trade Union Act in 2016, it said it was to make sure that strike action only ever went ahead when there was a “clear and positive democratic mandate from union members”.

It set minimum thresholds for industrial action to be legal. Under the rules, half of a union’s membership has to turn out to vote in the ballot.

For public services, such as education, health or transport, the bar was set higher: 40% of the entire membership has to support the action.

But Labour has said the Act is an attack on rights at work and, as first reported by the Telegraph, it is understood it intends to stick to its pledge of introducing legislation to repeal it within its first 100 days.

A Labour source said the government was “turning the page on the Conservatives’ failed, scorched-earth approach to industrial relations”.

The source added that a “new era of partnership” between unions, employers and government would put the UK in line with “high-growth economies that benefit from more co-operation and less disruption”.

The government is also set to get rid of rules introduced by the Conservatives last year limiting strike action by workers including teachers, firefighters and train workers.

Ministers have already told employers not to follow the rules whilst legislation to formally abolish them, set to be introduced later this year, goes through Parliament.

The proposed rules would have forced train firms to run about 40% of rail services on strike days, with fire services required to crew 73% of fire engines.

But the regulations, which unions argue are unworkable, have never been implemented during a dispute.