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Anti-strike law slammed as ‘not fit for purpose’

Impact of bill that could see nurses and other public sector workers sacked for going on strike ‘not properly assessed’
Strikers at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough

Impact of bill that could see nurses and other public sector workers sacked for going on strike ‘not properly assessed’

Strikers at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough
Strikers at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough Picture: John Houlihan

The government has failed to adequately assess the impact of a new law that could see nurses and other public sector workers sacked for going on strike, according to a panel of experts.

The warning came as the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill faced a barrage of criticism in the House of Lords with peers highlighting the ‘desperation and frustration’ felt by nurses over pay.

The legislation – which has been voted through the Commons by MPs – is designed to ensure minimum staffing levels in the NHS and other key services in the event of strikes.

The government published its impact assessment of the bill on Tuesday, suggesting it would boost public confidence in services and pointing to the economic benefits of reduced disruption.

RCN’s Cullen calls panel’s criticism a damning assessment of attempt to stifle the rights of workers

However, the Regulatory Policy Committee – a group of independent business, academic and legal experts – gave the assessment a red rating, concluding it was ‘not fit for purpose’.

The group found the cost-benefit analysis of the policy was weak and that some sources were more than a decade old.

RCN general secretary Pat Cullen said the report amounted to ‘a damning assessment of the government’s attempt to stifle the rights of workers’. She said: ‘The independent committee is saying it is not fit for purpose and should essentially go back to the drawing board.’

Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said the law was poorly thought out and sought to demonise public sector workers. ‘Rather than worsening industrial action with laws no one needs or wants, ministers should be throwing the kitchen sink at solving the disputes,’ she said.

Baroness Frances O’Grady
Baroness Frances O’Grady

Minister says bill aims to protect lives and livelihoods by ensuring minimum service levels during strikes

The legislation attracted fierce criticism from the opposition during its second reading in the Lords this week.

Labour peer and former TUC general secretary Baroness Frances O’Grady described the bill as deeply flawed. ‘Taking powers to strip nurses, teachers, firefighters, transport workers and others of their livelihoods, when they strike for better pay and conditions, is not generally regarded as a feature of a free society,’ she said.

Government minister Lord Martin Callanan said recent industrial action had highlighted the disproportionate impact that strikes can have on the public. He said: ‘This legislation is not about sacking workers, it is about protecting people’s lives and livelihoods by enabling minimum service levels to be applied during strikes.’


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