Government suffers yet another defeat in the Lords on anti-strike bill

• TUC says ministers must listen to the Lords and drop their attacks on the right to strike

The government has suffered another defeat in the House of Lords today (Tuesday) on its anti-strike Bill, as the opposition amendment was voted through.

This means the Bill will go back to the Commons again.

If passed unamended, the Bill would mean that when workers lawfully vote to strike in health, education, fire, transport, border security and nuclear decommissioning, they could be forced to attend work – and sacked if they don’t comply.

TUC research found the right to strike of a massive 1 in 5 workers in Britain – or 5.5 million workers – is at risk as a result of this legislation.

The Bill will give ministers the power to impose new minimum service levels through regulation. But MPs have been given few details on how minimum service levels are intended to operate.

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

“This spiteful bill is an attack on the fundamental right to strike – that’s why peers have once again exercised common sense and defeated it in the House of Lords.

“No one should be sacked for trying to win a better deal at work.

“Politicians, employers and rights groups are all queuing up to condemn this draconian legislation.

“It’s time for an urgent rethink – ministers must listen to the Lords and drop their attacks on the right to strike.”

The legislation has faced a barrage of criticism from employers, civil liberties organisations, the joint committee on human rights, House of Lords Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee, race and gender equalities groups, employment rights lawyers, politicians around the world – as well as a whole host of other organisations.

The UK’s actions have already come under scrutiny from international organisations. The UN workers’ rights watchdog, the ILO, recently slapped down the UK government over its anti-union agenda and demanded it respect international law.

The UK has also fallen down the global rankings on workers’ rights because of the Conservatives’ anti-strike bill, according to the ITUC 2023 global rights index.