Sound the alarm! Tories propose virtual ban on strikes

[Geezer]

http://www.workersliberty.org/story/200 ... an-strikes

Submitted on 4 November, 2009 - 14:16


Anti-union laws

For some reason the left, the labour movement and the bourgeois media have made little of a major Tory intervention in the postal strike. The Tories, if they win the election, do not just intend to privatise the whole of Royal Mail. They also want to change the law to ban the big majority of even those strikes still legal under the current anti-union laws.

The Tories propose to allow only strikes which have secured in a ballot, not only a majority of those voting, not only a majority of the union, but a majority of all those called out on strike. To see what this means, let us look at the postal dispute.

The CWU got a 76 percent yes vote on a 67 percent turn out, which means just over 50 percent of its members in Royal Mail voted yes and less than 17 percent no. However, in addition to the 120,000 postal workers who are members of the union, another 20,000 are not. Under the Tory proposals, the CWU strike would therefore be illegal; in fact, on a 67 percent turn out, the union would have needed an 87 percent yes for a legal strike.

Given that the post has a much higher than average union density (86 percent, as against 28 percent of all workers), this clearly means banning almost all strikes in most industries. Certainly almost all national, or even large-scale, strikes.

This is ludicrously and hypocritically undemocratic: the Tories, if and when they win the next election, will gain a parliamentary majority with the votes of probably 20-25 percent of the electorate (40-45 percent on a 50-60 percent turn out). The CWU, in contrast, won 76 percent of those voting for a strike. Why should we assume that all of those who did not vote are against (particularly since the anti-union laws enforce postal ballots, rather than workplace ballots, which lower turn out)? And why should a union be forced to take into account the 'votes' - all of them automatically and illogically counted as no votes - of non-members?

In any case such calculations are secondary to the fundamental class issue. What we must insist on is the right to strike, for every worker and every group of workers, regardless of the circumstances. Under the status quo, this right does not exist - to realise it requires the repeal of the anti-union laws and their replacement with a legal charter of workers' rights.

The Tory proposals are a giant leap in the other direction. It is not clear why they have gone unnoticed. We need to sound the alarm in the labour movement!

[k979aaa]

So if the Tories ever get in we are quite within our rights too take up arms against a party with a minority of the vote never mind those who are entitled to vote!.

[simonj12]

It will still have to be voted on by every MP before it's passed. Looks like tories will win election but don't think it will be a landslide. Still plenty of people about who will never vote tory.

[banner18]

The Canadian and US posties are not allowed to strike, yet they have done in the past.

[fishtank]

Pass me the gunpowder and matches,I know how to sort these B*st*rds out.How about Mandleson for guy.

[SpacePhoenix]

It will still have to be voted on by every MP before it's passed. Looks like tories will win election but don't think it will be a landslide. Still plenty of people about who will never vote tory.

I read somehwere that there's a good chance of a hung parliament at the next general election

[mailman71]

the tories have plenty of ideas to run the working class workers like us into the ground,but with the chance of a referendum on europe now gubbed it spoils their chances of doing away with a lot of workers rights.
they had plans to do away with the minimum wage and a lot of other workers rights that europe introduced,its just as well that europe is'nt filled with tories.

[Big Daz]

Pass me the gunpowder and matches,I know how to sort these B*st*rds out.How about Mandleson for guy.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

LTB 970/09 - CWU Slams 'Disastrous' Tory Health and Safety Plans

No. 970/09
Ref C29
Date: 3 November 2009


To: All Branches


Dear Colleagues,



CWU Slams 'Disastrous' Tory Health and Safety Plans

The CWU has added its voice to the long list of Unions slamming the Tory Party's latest health and safety plans.

Now that the party conference season has ended, clear differences can be seen between the Labour party and the Conservatives on health and safety regulation.

The Conservative Party heard speeches attacking health & safety laws and repeating the party's threats to remove and weaken safety legislation which would inevitably lead to workers being put at greater risk of injury, ill health and death at work.

Shadow business secretary Ken Clarke’s Conservative Party conference speech indicated that the Tory party's clear intentions to attack and water down health and safety standards of protection for workers has not let up!

The series of dramatic attacks on health and safety at work protection go back some time. The first indications came in the 2004 Tory Deregulation report entitled "Reversing the Drivers of Regulation" Produced by John Tate and Greg Clark of the Conservative Research Department Policy Unit. It listed a whole raft of health and safety laws that would be targeted for the chop completely or be watered down to such an extent they become worthless under a future Tory Government - on the 'Hit List' for 'Urgent Review with the aim of liberating businesses from the burden of what was termed "unnecessary regulations" were the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Management of Health & Safety At Work Regulations, the Fire Precautions Regulations, the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations, the Dangerous Substances and Explosives Atmospheres Regulations and The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations. The Report recommended that a programme of year on year law repeals should be introduced and that a future Tory Health and Safety Minister should explain to the public why it's not possible to create a risk free world and a risk free workplace. The report signaled a continuation of cheap deaths at work and a return to the old attitude of "accidents will happen".


In 2007, Tory right-winger John Redwood unveiled a controversial plan to sweep away a plethora of health and safety laws and regulations including employers health and safety at work duties and risk assessment requirements which he said was impeding business. Tory Party leader David Cameron subsequently endorsed the plans.

In March of 2007 Tory leader David Cameron had showed his hand when he personally launched an attack on health and safety regulations designed to protect construction workers but it brought a swift reaction from the Trade Unions. Cameron put down an Early Day Motion number 1151 calling for the new Construction Design and Management (CDM) Regulations 2007 to be "annulled". Needless to say his EDM received little support and barely raised a dozen Tory signatures.

At the 2008 Tory party conference, Michael Gove Shadow Spokesperson for Children Schools and Families made it clear that the Tory attacks on health & safety legislation remained high on their agenda, describing health and safety as 'absurd'. Gove even involved plans for removing legislation which covered school children's safety and First Aid. Cameron subsequently continued the attack in his leaders Conference speech saying "This attitude, this whole health and safety culture has infected every part of our life," he informed the rapt Tory audience. "Teachers can't put a plaster on a child's grazed knee without calling a first aid officer.".

At this years 2009 Conservative Party Conference Ken Clarke announced plans to allow firms to opt-out from official health and safety control by the HSE, introducing 'self-regulation' and allowing employers to regulate their own health and safety, allowing them to close the door to on official HSE Inspectors. Clarke added "there's too many Inspectors of one kind or another". The full details are published in Clarke's report "Regulation In The Post-Bureaucratic Age".

The Tory policy of public services spending cuts would no doubt fall heavily on the HSE as it did mercilessly under the last Tory administration which adopted the approach of where it couldn't weaken EU Health and Safety Law it simply weakened its enforcement in the UK.

These latest Conservative proposals are very disturbing and Branches and Safety Representatives should remind members of the dangers of a future Tory government and its threat to health and safety. It would prove disastrous for workers. Workers therefore need to think very carefully about the prospects of a Tory Government after the forthcoming election. The HSE isn't perfect, but at least it is independent and trusted by the workforce and it carries 'legal enforcement powers and sanctions. These now annual policy announcements go to show the Tories true colours. They are the party of the bosses and by cutting 'red tape' for employers they will be putting the lives and health of workers at risk. Decades of struggle by workers and their Unions have resulted in significant improvements in working conditions. But the toll of workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths remains enormous. The Tories plans would be 'disastrous' for workers health and safety and a recipe for more avoidable deaths and injuries at work and catastrophic events such as Buncefield and the Stockline explosion which killed 9 and injured 33 workers. The Tories should be focusing on preventing accidents and deaths rather than looking at ways of saving money for the employers at any cost.

Yours Sincerely





Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

[concerned]

i find it a bit ironic that the Tories are saying all this. At a time when the new rules regarding MPs has come out saying they are no longer able to employ relatives....who comes out and speaks on their behalf? UNITE.....who are representing the employees...ie-the wives, husbands etc of MPs. Fair enough they may not strike, but i think its a bit double standards when they allow representation from unions regarding this matter but condem them when they represent the working class or poorly paid/treated

[robmacca]

Ironic that almost 60% of British voters will NOT vote in the next General Election makes a mockery of the Tories proposal - the very party that can expect to get just 40% of the votes from the 40% of voters.

Maybe we could make Tory rule illegal as well..............

[concerned]

we are not going to be able to do anything soon.....it will be passed as EU Law. Just a change of subject but i cannot believe that our MPs say we live in a democratic society WHEN THEY DIDNT EVEN ALLOW US TO VOTE ON THE LISBON TREATY like other countries did. A free democratic country? what a load of rubbish

[simonj12]

It will still have to be voted on by every MP before it's passed. Looks like tories will win election but don't think it will be a landslide. Still plenty of people about who will never vote tory.

I read somehwere that there's a good chance of a hung parliament at the next general election

Does that mean we can all come to the gallows as spectators? Henry Ford once said about his cars, "You can have any colour you want as long as its black". It seems that the British electorate can have any colour it likes as long as its blue, which has rung true since 1978. Perhaps our impending European dictatorship (which I'm fundamentally against in principal) may prove otherwise before we vote them out...that's assuming we're allowed to do so.