An independent review of laws governing industrial disputes has been dramatically scaled back after the QC in charge objected to recent ministerial announcements on introducing anti-strike laws. Policy announcements by Maude last month suggesting that the Tories would introduce new laws to curb unions' rights to picket had rendered Carr's own review "meaningless". Instead, Carr told ministers that he would not come up with any recommendations for legal changes.
Maude announced a package of new laws to curb the rights of unions to take industrial action. The plans centred on forcing union leaders to prove that half their members supported a walkout and that a large proportion had voted. Otherwise, a strike could be ruled illegal. But the plans also suggested that a future Tory government would introduce a criminal offence to stop picketing and would strengthen the code of practice on picketing by giving it statutory force.
Mark Serwotka, head of the PCS union, said: "The Tories handpicked Bruce Carr to do their bidding but even he couldn't stomach their anti-union rhetoric, exposing the review as a facade for an attack not just on more than 6 million trade union members but on all working people and their communities."
Maude announced a package of new laws to curb the rights of unions to take industrial action. The plans centred on forcing union leaders to prove that half their members supported a walkout and that a large proportion had voted. Otherwise, a strike could be ruled illegal. But the plans also suggested that a future Tory government would introduce a criminal offence to stop picketing and would strengthen the code of practice on picketing by giving it statutory force.
Mark Serwotka, head of the PCS union, said: "The Tories handpicked Bruce Carr to do their bidding but even he couldn't stomach their anti-union rhetoric, exposing the review as a facade for an attack not just on more than 6 million trade union members but on all working people and their communities."
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