Conservatives pledge public sector strike curbs

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30747185" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Conservative Party says it will make it harder to call strikes in certain "core" public services if it wins the general election.

Under the plans, a strike affecting health, transport, fire services or schools would need the backing of 40% of eligible union members.

Currently, a strike is valid if backed by a simple majority of those balloted.

The Tories have already proposed a minimum 50% turnout in strike ballots, which unions say is "anti-democratic".

They would also end a ban on using agency staff to cover for striking workers, impose a three-month time limit after a ballot for action to take place and curbs on picketing.

The package of measures will feature in the party's manifesto for May's general election.

Online voting
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that a planned London bus strike on Tuesday 13 January had only been voted for by 16% of people entitled to take part in the ballot, and called the walk-out "ridiculous".

"I think before a strike is allowed to go ahead it must have much more support from the union members and cannot be called by politicised union leaders," he said.

But Frances O'Grady, general secretary of the TUC, said that participation in strike ballots and other types of vote should be improved by introducing online voting, in "safe and secure balloting".

At the moment, strikes can only be called based on the results of a postal ballot - which "don't do the job", Ms O'Grady added.

She said the government "continues to oppose this proposition", although Mr McLoughlin replied he would be willing to talk "in more detail" about such proposals.

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said the Conservative Party's proposed changes would have a "chilling" effect, and added the way to "resolve disputes was through negotiations - not to intimidate and silence by legislation".

'Important institutions'
Ministers have repeatedly clashed with trade unions over pay - with a 1% cap on increases in the public sector - as well as changes to pensions and retirement ages.

Last summer hundreds of thousands of public sector workers took part in a day of strike action across the UK, with Prime Minister David Cameron saying it was "time to legislate".

Mr McLoughlin said trade unions were "important institutions with a strong history".

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The UK already has tough laws on strikes - there is no need to make them stricter still”

Dave Prentis
Unison general secretary
But he added: "It is wrong that politicised union leaders can hold the country to ransom with demands that only a small percentage of their members voted for. That causes misery to millions of people; and it costs our economy too."

He said the changes, which would be introduced in the first session of a Conservative-led Parliament, would "increase the legitimacy" of strike action held by unions.

"It is only fair that the rights of unions are balanced with the rights of hard-working taxpayers who rely on key public services."

'Shifting balance'
The TUC has previously said imposing a minimum turnout would leave unions with "about as much power as Oliver Twist".

Labour criticised those plans as "desperate stuff".

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said the proposed measures would make it "virtually impossible for anyone in the public sector to go on strike".

This, he added, would "shift the balance completely in favour of the government and employers, and away from dedicated public servants.

"The UK already has tough laws on strikes - there is no need to make them stricter still."

And GMB general secretary Paul Kenny said: "Only 16 out of 650 elected Members of Parliament secured the support of 40% of those entitled to vote in their parliamentary constituency area election in 2010.

"Only 15 Tory MPs out of 303 secured that level of support. They had no hesitation in forming a government in 2010 without securing 40% support from the electorate."

[Lounge Lizard]

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that a planned London bus strike on Tuesday 13 January had only been voted for by 16% of people entitled to take part in the ballot, and called the walk-out "ridiculous".

So the elections of Police and Crime Commissioners were equally "ridiculous" with many local authority elections not much better .

[Chelseablue]

Tories have no chance of getting in

[DGP1]

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that a planned London bus strike on Tuesday 13 January had only been voted for by 16% of people entitled to take part in the ballot, and called the walk-out "ridiculous".

So the elections of Police and Crime Commissioners were equally "ridiculous" with many local authority elections not much better .

There are very few politicians who can claim 40% of the electorate so that makes them undemocratic

[NWpostie]

Tories have no chance of getting in

An SNP Labour coalition doesn't sound much better either with LibDem (if there is any left) jumping into bed with whoever that will give them a seat at the top table.

By all accounts its looking like labour and LibDem will be facing a wipe out in Scotland with SNP taking the votes and most likely to extract pro Scotland concessions especially any that brings them closer to Independence. A right can of worms we got here.

[Lounge Lizard]

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that a planned London bus strike on Tuesday 13 January had only been voted for by 16% of people entitled to take part in the ballot, and called the walk-out "ridiculous".

So the elections of Police and Crime Commissioners were equally "ridiculous" with many local authority elections not much better .

There are very few politicians who can claim 40% of the electorate so that makes them undemocratic

Indeed, and just 23% of the electorate voted Conservative five years ago.

[Homer]

Think I read that if the they applied the same criteria to politicians then there would only be 4 in parliament

[Whysoslowyehcfc]

Good idea to have online voting, how many times do people not get voting papers? And of course at least we'd know that your vote will be counted.
I also think that everyone should be made to vote who is in the union, whichever way they vote, then I'd think you will get over 40% voting FOR strike action

[I-POSTIE]

On Wednesday as the news of the deplorable acts of violence in Paris became headlines, the Prime Minister, in the House of Commons, rightly admonished the perpetrators and upheld the right of freedom of expression.

"We stand absolutely united with the French people against terrorism and against this threat to our values – free speech, the rule of law, democracy. It's absolutely essential we defend those values today and every day."

On Saturday the Conservative Party announced as part of there forthcoming general election manifesto, should they be elected, that they shall be seeking to bring into law further restrictions upon the working men and women of this country as to their ability to strike action and other forms of industrial action, therefore a minimum 40% of their union would have to vote in order to make an action legal. Inevitably the beginning of the slippery slope where the crude blues, over time want to increase the percentage so that the working person has no say concerning working conditions and pay.

The reality is: all the time that I have the RIGHT to vote and I am sure any working person whom considers their vote to be a measure of their FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, the Conservative Party will not get that vote. The right to campaign for reasonable working conditions and realistic pay is not at the behest of any dictatorship government. The Tories attempt at dictating to the working person is ill mannered and certainly ill timed.

“…….. threat to our values – free speech, the rule of law, democracy. It's absolutely essential we defend those values today and every day." - David Cameron

Sorry Mr. Cameron when you use the rule of law to undermine my freedom of expression you are not defending my democratic right to express my disapproval but to suppress my freedom of speech in doing so. It is about time you decided what you and your party stands for because I am getting a very confused message, not that I thought your parties politics had any great value to begin with. It is an incredible double standard insult that your party, that is only in power under a coalition and therefore did not receive the full number of votes to stand alone should be specifying percentages to other organisations on how they should conduct themselves. By your own standard of contradictory politics your party does not represent the wishes of the majority of the voting public in this country.

[Bernardson]

Ironic. just two weeks after a Tory/UKIP supporters tricks workers into working for nothing before Xmas at City Link the Tory's come out with that. its class war though they always deny it.

[mailman71]

We have the right to withdraw our labour if we vote for it despite what the Tories want.

[baldrick]

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that a planned London bus strike on Tuesday 13 January had only been voted for by 16% of people entitled to take part in the ballot, and called the walk-out "ridiculous". .

There are very few politicians who can claim 40% of the electorate so that makes them undemocratic

On the Sunday Politics program yesterday the presenter pointed out to Patrick McLoughlin that he was elected as a MP with only 38% of the vote in his constituency, and only 4 Tory mps got more than 40%.
I think that this Government only got about 28% of the electorate's vote.

[Chelseablue]

The scots hate these monsters