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TUC warns MPs are “voting blind” following government
failure to publish impact assessment for anti-strikes
bill
A government-appointed body has today (Monday) criticised the
government for failing to provide MPs with an impact assessment
on its new Minimum Service Level bill, which is in parliament for
its second reading today.
If passed, the bill will mean that when workers democratically
and lawfully vote to strike in health, education, fire,
transport, border security and nuclear decommissioning, they can
be forced to work and sacked if they don’t comply.
The TUC has slammed the “draconian legislation” as “an attack on
the fundamental right to strike”.
In a statement, the Regulatory Policy Committee - a group of
independent experts brought together by the Department for
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to examine the impact of
regulation on business and civil society – said:
Government departments are expected to submit IAs to the RPC
before the relevant bill is laid before Parliament and in time
for the RPC to issue an opinion alongside the publication of the
IA.
An IA for this Bill has not yet been submitted for RPC
scrutiny; nor has one been published despite the Bill being
currently considered by Parliament.
The TUC has accused the government of attempting to "railroad
through” the new controversial legislation without proper
consultation or scrutiny.
The TUC is calling on MPs of all parties to reject this spiteful
legislation, which it says is “shortcutting” normal scrutiny
procedures.
New sweeping powers
The bill gives ministers “sweeping new powers” to impose new
minimum service levels through regulation – which could come into
force as early as this summer.
But consultations on how these regulations will work have not
been published, and parliamentarians have been given no detail on
how minimum service levels are intended to operate – and the
government has not yet published an impact assessment for the
bill.
The TUC says the new legislation will “do nothing” to solve the
current disputes across the public sector.
The impact assessment for the
previous transport bill, published in Autumn but now superseded
by the current legislation, warns that minimum service levels
could poison industrial relations – leading to more frequent
industrial action.
And the government has failed to produce a fresh impact
assessment for the new bill, which will cover a wider range of
sectors.
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:
“It’s shameful that MPs are being asked to vote blind on a bill
that will have far-reaching consequences for millions of workers.
“The government is deliberately railroading through this spiteful
legislation to avoid proper parliamentary scrutiny.
“Make no mistake – this bill is a fundamental attack on the right
to strike that will force workers across the public sector to
cross picket lines or face the sack.
“And it will do nothing to solve the current disputes across the
economy – but only make matters worse.
“This draconian legislation is undemocratic, unworkable and
almost certainly illegal.
“Workers are facing a living standards emergency. With inflation
running at over 10%, the last thing they need is for ministers to
make it harder to secure better pay and conditions.
“This is a naked power grab - no matter how ministers try and
spin it.
“Instead of scheming up new ways to attack the right to strike,
ministers should get pay rising across the economy – starting
with a decent pay rise for workers across the public sector.”
