Tory anti-union plan under fire

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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CWU general secretary Billy Hayes has today (Monday) criticised Prime Minister David Cameron's proposal for a 'turnout threshold' in future union strike ballots as "anti-union hypocrisy".

The PM told the BBC's Andrew Marr yesterday that if he wins next year's general election, he plans to introduce new laws that could place industrial action outside of civil law unless a majority of the electorate has voted for the action.

"I think the time has come for setting thresholds in strike ballots in essential services," Mr Cameron said during the interview, although he did not outline any plans to extend this principle to the election of MPs and councillors.

Billy Hayes said that the proposals were "yet another attempt by the Tories to attack the ability of working people to stand up and fight for job security, better pay, terms and conditions.

"At a time when workers across the UK are facing a severe cost-of-living crisis, we need our unions to be stronger. No-one ever wants to go on strike, but this is a fundamental right which we will defend," he added.

"It's also hypocritical for a Prime Minister who did not win a majority of the electorate himself to talk of setting 'thresholds' for others," Billy continued, and asked: "Will Mr Cameron refuse to take office if he does not win a majority of UK votes next year?"

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady has also spoken out against Mr Cameron's proposals, saying: "Workers in Britain already face the toughest barriers to taking action to defend their living standards of any almost any advanced democracy. This has helped turn our country into one of the most unequal where billionaires co-exist with food banks.

"The Prime Minister now wants to make industrial action even more difficult. This shows his readiness to take the side of employers and big business against ordinary working people," she added.

[Cut Off King]

I don't mind, just as long as it is applied to ALL voting ballots.....Local, general and EU elections....Party leadership elections ect.

If its only for unions then its discrimatory

[Red Robbo]

If people can't be bothered to vote then their terms & conditions deserve to be eroded !