The Government has announced plans to introduce new anti-strike laws to ensure a basic level of service in key sectors when industrial action takes place.
Ministers pledged to introduce a bill in Parliament in the coming weeks to ensure 'basic function and minimum safety levels' would be maintained in crucial public services during industrial action.
Under the bill, bosses are expected to be able to sack employees if minimum service levels are not met, as well as bring an injunction to prevent strikes or sue for damages if they go ahead.
These clauses were included in original plans raised last autumn then dropped. They have now been taken up again by the government in the face of a storm of industrial action.
Ministers said they would consult on the mimimum levels for fire, ambulance and rail services.
Other sectors covered in the bill include health services, education, nuclear decommissioning, other transport services and border security. Ministers hope to reach voluntary agreements in these areas and would only look to consult on minimum safety levels if this failed.
Under the original bill, drawn up by the former business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg, tougher thresholds for industrial action were also proposed. It is unclear whether these will be revived in the upcoming legislation.
Business secretary Grant Shapps said: 'While we hope that voluntary agreements can continue to be made in most cases, introducing minimum safety levels – the minimum levels of service we expect to be provided – will restore the balance between those seeking to strike and protecting the public from disproportionate disruption.'
Labour leader Keir Starmer said he would repeal the legisation if Labour formed the next government.
'I don’t think this legislation is going to work. I’m pretty sure they’d had an assessment that tells them that it is likely to make a bad situation worse,' he said.
'We will look at what they bring forward but if it’s further restrictions then we would repeal it. The reason for that is that I do not think legislation is the way you bring an end to a dispute.'
Union bosses reacted furiously to the proposals calling them a violation of workers' rights.
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