Labour 'to allow unions to walk out without half of members voting' after bumper pay deal for train drivers
18 August 2024, 23:06
Labour are set to repeal strike laws in order to allow trade unions to walk out even without a majority of their members supporting industrial action, reports say.
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The Telegraph is reporting that Labour is set to repeal the Trade Union Act 2016 - a piece of Tory legislation which means that unions must see 50% of its members voting for a strike to be allowed.
Under the laws passed by David Cameron's government, 40% of members of unions for "important public services" must also be polled before strikes become legal.
Read More: Tories hit out at Starmer over pay offers to train drivers and junior doctors
The changes come as part of Labour's workers' rights reforms - a cornerstone of the party's winning election manifesto being spearheaded by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner.
The latest set of union-friendly reforms come after Labour offered big pay-rises to public sector workers.
Train drivers with the Aslef union were offered an inflation-busting hike of nearly 15% last week.
The offer made to Aslef is a 5% pay rise for 2022/23, 4.75% for 23/24 and 4.5% for 24/25.
Drivers are now set to vote on the multi-year pay offer, potentially putting an end to industrial action across the rail network.
Leaked letter have also suggested that junior doctors have been offered an above-inflation increase of 7.4 per cent - but the British Medical Association (BMA) wants more.
It is pushing for a 10.7 per cent rise in one year, in a bid to bring real-terms income back to levels in 2018/19.
The government has refused to say how much taxpayers will have to contribute towards the 15 per cent pay rise for rail workers.
The deal, which was tabled on Wednesday, is expected to cost more than £100 million - but transport secretary Louise Haigh said it was better value for taxpayers than allowing industrial action to continue.
GPs are now expected to be next in line to receive a pay rise.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has urged doctors not to “punish” patients by continuing with industrial action when the government wants to work with them to “rebuild the NHS”.
He is said to have been seeking funding as part of the October Budget to help provide a solution to “general practice sustainability”, according to the Telegraph.
