High Court ruling ‘victory for all workers’ – GMB

Court tells Government it acted unlawfully and irrationally in attempting to undermine strikes with agency workers 

GMB Union has hailed today’s ruling by the High Court as a ‘victory for all workers’.

In a decision handed down today [Thursday], the High Court has quashed the Government’s decision to permit employers to use agency workers to undermine strikes.

In response to strike action last year the Government reversed the ban on employers hiring agency workers during strike action.

GMB, along with other unions and the TUC, lodged a Judicial Review of the Government’s decision.

The High Court found that the Government had failed to consult on its proposals and gave a damning verdict on the conduct of Tory Ministers.

Jamie Hanley, GMB’s Legal Director, said:  

“Today’s ruling is a victory for all workers.

“This was a cynical attempt by the Tory Government to undermine the effectiveness of strike action.

“Ministers knew when they attempted to railroad through these changes that they had failed to consult properly.

“Bringing in less qualified agency workers puts the safety of the public at risk.

“Employers should be under no illusion – GMB will ensure they abide by the law and do not use agency workers to fill in for our members who are on strike.

“Meanwhile the Government ought to be embarrassed by today’s judgement which found that the Conservative Secretary of State’s approach was ‘so unfair as to be unlawful and, indeed, irrational’.”