Government ministers are exploring possible ways to curb union strike powers in order to avoid a wave of industrial action against public sector cuts this autumn.
The news came as the Cabinet Office confirmed plans to alter the terms of civil servants’ redundancy packages and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) was forced to cancel a strike ballot against BT due to legal technicalities that it said “raised questions over the right to strike”.
According to the Daily Telegraph, ministers have held secret meetings to draw up proposals that would block unions from calling strikes with a simple majority following a ballot. They are believed to be looking at raising the proportion of workers required to vote for industrial action and making unions legally liable for the consequences of strikes.
Employer lobby group the CBI has already called for 40% of the workforce to support industrial action before it can take place.
The ministerial parlays followed a meeting between Philip Hammond, the Transport Secretary, and London Mayor Boris Johnson 10 days ago to discuss the issue. The Mayor was consulted because of his experience in dealing with unions during his two years in office, including the RMT rail union, which called strikes affecting the London Underground last year.
Although Downing Street denied moves to change union legislation were afoot, a Tory source said that the Cabinet was “feeling inclined to be very bullish and aggressive” about tackling the threat of industrial action.
At the same time, the Cabinet Office also confirmed plans to alter the terms of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS) – even though previous efforts by the last government cut their redundancy packages were blocked by the High Court. Ministers in the coalition government are believed to have drawn up proposals for legislation that would attempt to get around the ruling.
According to the Telegraph, they are keen to push through such changes as soon as possible to ensure that civil servants made redundant after 15 September would be subject to the new terms.
The move came as the CWU was forced to cancel its ballot for industrial action against BT over a wage dispute. After taking legal advice on a series of letters it received from the telco, which effectively amounted to “a legal challenge”, the union was concerned that certain potential technical breaches in relation to the ballot could invalidate its results.
It has since received a revised pay offer from BT on behalf of the 50,000 workers it represents, which it is now evaluating, while also taking the necessary steps to allow for a re-ballot if negotiations are unsuccessful.
Andy Kerr, the CWU’s deputy general secretary said: “The legal technicalities on which this ballot have been cancelled again raise questions over the right to strike and the extremely restrictive trade union laws that exist in the UK.”
