On Monday, the Tory Government is introducing the Trade Union Bill a nasty, draconian piece of legislation which will undermine workers' rights to fight for a more equal society.
Under the Bill, employers will be able to break strikes by bringing in agency workers to cover for strikers, there'll be restrictions on how unions collect and spend their money, and huge constraints on peaceful picketing and protests. Striking workers will have to tell their employer all their plans including what they will post on Facebook - two weeks before they strike!
"This level of scrutiny and monitoring is excessive, undermining freedom of speech and threatening the civil liberties of working people who should be free to defend their rights" the TUC states
There's also attacks on the public sector's right to organise. In 'important public services' (fire, health, education, transport, border security and nuclear decommissioning), 50% of members must turn out to vote and 40% of the entire membership must vote in favour of industrial action which amounts to 80% of those voting, on a 50% turnout. Of course, if this was enforced in a General or Local Election, Parliament and most council chambers would be empty.
Meanwhile, under the Bill, public sector employers will have to publish information on the cost of time off for union reps, plus a breakdown of what facility time is used for; staff won't be able to pay for union membership direct through salaries anymore, even though a lot of unions actually pay councils to do this; and the time public sector employers allow union reps to spend representing members will be capped.
"The United Kingdom already has some of the most restrictive anti-trade union laws in the developed world and this has been consistently regarded as one of the principal causes of the levels of inequality in this country" states Salford City UNISON branch "Whether a person is a trade union member or not, they benefit from the continued existence of trade unions and the rights that we work to protect and enhance. The Trade Union Bill seeks to undermine that further."
In response Salford TUC and Salford City UNISON have called protests on Monday to oppose the first reading of the Trade Union Bill.
Monday 14th September
Salford TUC Protest: 7:30am, MediaCityUK, in front of the main BBC studio
Salford City UNISON Protest: 12:30pm, Salford Civic Centre
To see and hear TUC General Secretary, Frances O'Grady talk about the Bill see her YouTube video click here
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