The Government’s proposals on strike laws are an outdated response to industrial relations issues currently facing UK employers and could prove counter-productive, according to the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development.
The Government’s proposed changes to existing laws on industrial action centre on:
- raising the bar on thresholds for strike ballots, including a minimum turnout of 50% of union members entitled to vote and a further threshold for ‘important public services’ where 40% of those entitled to vote would need to vote in favour of industrial action. More info here
- tackling intimidation on the picket line and 'leverage’ tactics by trade unions. More info here
- repealing the ban on using agency workers to cover for striking workers. More info here
In its submission to the Government consultation on the proposals, which closes today (September 9), the CIPD highlights that proposals are an outdated response to the challenges of the modern workplace. It says that the number of working days lost through industrial action today stands at less than a tenth of what it was in the 1980s, dropping from seven million days per year in the 1980s to an average of 670,000 per year between 1990 and 2014.CIPD surveys of employers and consultation with members indicate that relationships with their trade unions are generally good. Instead of focusing on ballot thresholds, the CIPD is urging the Government and organisations to build a better dialogue with their workforce, improve employee engagement and consider alternative methods of protecting the public from the impact of strike action, such as ‘no-strike agreements’.
Peter Cheese, chief executive of the CIPD, comments:
On the threshold proposals, Mike Emmott, employee relations adviser at the CIPD, said:
Commenting on the proposals to tackle intimidation of non-striking workers, Mike Emmott said:
Commenting on the proposal to repeal the ban on using agency workers to cover for striking workers, Mike Emmott said:
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