>#PM wants to rip up union laws to let agency workers beat strikes
>Boris Johnson is backing plans to rip up trade union laws that prohibit employers from breaking strike action by drafting in temporary workers.
>Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, has been tasked with examining the proposal as union leaders prepare for a “summer of discontent” not seen since the 1926 General Strike, with industrial action expected to cause chaos on railways and roads and in airports.
>Axing these restrictions, which could be done using secondary legislation, would make it easier for employers to provide limited emergency cover during strikes. Agency workers are unlikely to be able to fill skilled jobs, such as signal operators or train drivers, although it will give employers some flexibility to cover some roles.
>A Whitehall source said: “The prime minister wants to see measures introduced to help break the stranglehold of the unions who are threatening to hold this country to ransom.
“He believes it is high time this legislation was reversed to allow agency workers to help keep the show on the road during periods of industrial action.”
>The provision has been in place since 1973, when the Conservative government of Edward Heath banned employers from hiring agency workers as strike-breakers during industrial unrest. It was feared that driving them past picket lines could provoke violence.
>David Cameron announced plans to change the law in his election manifesto in 2015 but abandoned them after fierce opposition from the unions. At the time, the TUC said the measure would breach international law.
>Kwarteng has ordered an urgent review of existing industrial relations legislation to limit the disruption expected to be caused by the forthcoming strikes.
>Another option being considered is changes to limit the amount of overtime to which workers are eligible after taking part in strike action. It is understood railway workers often make up the pay lost due to strike action by topping up their wages with overtime.
>Downing Street is also understood to be in favour of introducing “minimum service” obligations on the railways, which was proposed in the Conservative manifesto in 2019. This would involve passing laws requiring a minimum number of rail staff to work during a strike.
>A government source said: “We are committed to reforming this area to democratise trade unions and ultimately to limit the impact of strikes on British rail passengers. All options are on the table.”
>More than 40,000 RMT union members from Network Rail and 13 train operators are set to walk out after talks over pay and redundancies broke down.
>The strikes are due to take place on June 21, 23 and 25 but it is likely that services across the whole week will be disrupted. Train drivers are also going to strike over pay.
Talk about moving in the breeze. It was just recently they were supposedly against the ferry company sacking everyone and bringing in agency people.
Is there really a big crowd of unemployed skilled rail crew looking for these jobs anyway?
No surprise there. The Tories hate working people and are constantly trying to screw us over.
Ah cool, oppression here we come then. Hopefully they’ll be some rioting this year, doesn’t seem like were going to win anything over peacefully.
They got a hidden army of signallers, drivers, controllers, maintenance staff etc ? Also if they’ve got enough money to pay all these agency contracts which charge far in excess of what they pay to staff then they have enough to afford us a pay rise and stop the dangerous cuts to jobs.
Though I would absolutely piss myself if they got the contract then refused to cross the picket lines.
This is so weird. They went after P&O for doing something similar. Except P&O skipped past strikes and went straight to sacking workers.
Anyway, not sure it would make much of a difference, as agency workers will be able to charge a premium and probably more than the uplift in salaries striking workers are after. Economically, it just supports the strike action.
Is it my imagination, or do we have children running the country at the moment? Even I, who lives right in the middle of the road, am totally fucked off with these stupid, pathetic morons desperately clinging to power.
EU bonfire! Brexit opportunity! Freedom! Sovereignty!
This is what Brexit really was all about. Next it will be that Unions are trying to get the UK back into the EU and they need to go. Slippery slope lads.
If the NHS is anything to go by the agency staff will be shite and it won’t run properly anyway.
Bojo is panicking and becoming quite erratic. He is opening too many war fronts just to be kept in the media and still show that he exists. Unreliable like always. He is the biggest tory liability. Out!
Getting rid of red tape and your rights.
The Tory Party
Grant Shapps already talking about “Marxist Unions” this morning. Tories are going to go full Republican on us, its going to be fun to watch. The only wonder is I thought we had a self-respecting working class not the brainwashed temporarily embarrassed millionaires like over in the states. Kind of shocking they’re swayed by this party of snakes.
Ah yes. They will pay agency tripplev the rates than what they rail workers are asking
They will lable the hard workers of the United Kingdom as terrorists by using language like “we don’t negotiate with far mongers and threats!”
Tory business as usual
Well of course they are. It’s a race to the bottom with this bunch of crooks and criminals.
Governmental strike breaking, disgraceful and shambolic. People need to remember this when they vote next.
The Tories are cancer, they know they are out at the next GE and will wreck the country until then.
Cheap immigrants on Tory visas will put the population out of work while the fat cats get fatter.
UK devolving at a rapid pace with Torry wankers in charge.
Agency workers? I thought Tories solved all problems by “calling in the Army”.
19 comments
[Non Paywall Link](https://archive.ph/tVn6J)
>#PM wants to rip up union laws to let agency workers beat strikes
>Boris Johnson is backing plans to rip up trade union laws that prohibit employers from breaking strike action by drafting in temporary workers.
>Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, has been tasked with examining the proposal as union leaders prepare for a “summer of discontent” not seen since the 1926 General Strike, with industrial action expected to cause chaos on railways and roads and in airports.
>Axing these restrictions, which could be done using secondary legislation, would make it easier for employers to provide limited emergency cover during strikes. Agency workers are unlikely to be able to fill skilled jobs, such as signal operators or train drivers, although it will give employers some flexibility to cover some roles.
>A Whitehall source said: “The prime minister wants to see measures introduced to help break the stranglehold of the unions who are threatening to hold this country to ransom.
“He believes it is high time this legislation was reversed to allow agency workers to help keep the show on the road during periods of industrial action.”
>The provision has been in place since 1973, when the Conservative government of Edward Heath banned employers from hiring agency workers as strike-breakers during industrial unrest. It was feared that driving them past picket lines could provoke violence.
>David Cameron announced plans to change the law in his election manifesto in 2015 but abandoned them after fierce opposition from the unions. At the time, the TUC said the measure would breach international law.
>Kwarteng has ordered an urgent review of existing industrial relations legislation to limit the disruption expected to be caused by the forthcoming strikes.
>Another option being considered is changes to limit the amount of overtime to which workers are eligible after taking part in strike action. It is understood railway workers often make up the pay lost due to strike action by topping up their wages with overtime.
>Downing Street is also understood to be in favour of introducing “minimum service” obligations on the railways, which was proposed in the Conservative manifesto in 2019. This would involve passing laws requiring a minimum number of rail staff to work during a strike.
>A government source said: “We are committed to reforming this area to democratise trade unions and ultimately to limit the impact of strikes on British rail passengers. All options are on the table.”
>More than 40,000 RMT union members from Network Rail and 13 train operators are set to walk out after talks over pay and redundancies broke down.
>The strikes are due to take place on June 21, 23 and 25 but it is likely that services across the whole week will be disrupted. Train drivers are also going to strike over pay.
Talk about moving in the breeze. It was just recently they were supposedly against the ferry company sacking everyone and bringing in agency people.
Is there really a big crowd of unemployed skilled rail crew looking for these jobs anyway?
No surprise there. The Tories hate working people and are constantly trying to screw us over.
Ah cool, oppression here we come then. Hopefully they’ll be some rioting this year, doesn’t seem like were going to win anything over peacefully.
They got a hidden army of signallers, drivers, controllers, maintenance staff etc ? Also if they’ve got enough money to pay all these agency contracts which charge far in excess of what they pay to staff then they have enough to afford us a pay rise and stop the dangerous cuts to jobs.
Though I would absolutely piss myself if they got the contract then refused to cross the picket lines.
This is so weird. They went after P&O for doing something similar. Except P&O skipped past strikes and went straight to sacking workers.
Anyway, not sure it would make much of a difference, as agency workers will be able to charge a premium and probably more than the uplift in salaries striking workers are after. Economically, it just supports the strike action.
Is it my imagination, or do we have children running the country at the moment? Even I, who lives right in the middle of the road, am totally fucked off with these stupid, pathetic morons desperately clinging to power.
EU bonfire! Brexit opportunity! Freedom! Sovereignty!
This is what Brexit really was all about. Next it will be that Unions are trying to get the UK back into the EU and they need to go. Slippery slope lads.
If the NHS is anything to go by the agency staff will be shite and it won’t run properly anyway.
Bojo is panicking and becoming quite erratic. He is opening too many war fronts just to be kept in the media and still show that he exists. Unreliable like always. He is the biggest tory liability. Out!
Getting rid of red tape and your rights.
The Tory Party
Grant Shapps already talking about “Marxist Unions” this morning. Tories are going to go full Republican on us, its going to be fun to watch. The only wonder is I thought we had a self-respecting working class not the brainwashed temporarily embarrassed millionaires like over in the states. Kind of shocking they’re swayed by this party of snakes.
Ah yes. They will pay agency tripplev the rates than what they rail workers are asking
They will lable the hard workers of the United Kingdom as terrorists by using language like “we don’t negotiate with far mongers and threats!”
Tory business as usual
Well of course they are. It’s a race to the bottom with this bunch of crooks and criminals.
Governmental strike breaking, disgraceful and shambolic. People need to remember this when they vote next.
The Tories are cancer, they know they are out at the next GE and will wreck the country until then.
Cheap immigrants on Tory visas will put the population out of work while the fat cats get fatter.
UK devolving at a rapid pace with Torry wankers in charge.
Agency workers? I thought Tories solved all problems by “calling in the Army”.