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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/sep/12/unite-boss-len-mccluskey-we-could-break-law-to-strike
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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Len McCluskey: we could break law to strike | Len McCluskey: we could break law to strike |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The general secretary of Unite has said the prospect of mass industrial unrest over public sector pay is becoming very likely and that his union could be willing to break the law to go on strike. | The general secretary of Unite has said the prospect of mass industrial unrest over public sector pay is becoming very likely and that his union could be willing to break the law to go on strike. |
| Len McCluskey told the BBC he would disregard what he called the “artificial threshold” imposed by the government, which insists on a turnout of 50% for a strike ballot to be legal. | Len McCluskey told the BBC he would disregard what he called the “artificial threshold” imposed by the government, which insists on a turnout of 50% for a strike ballot to be legal. |
| The Conservative government changed the law in March to require that level of support from a union membership for industrial action to go ahead. | The Conservative government changed the law in March to require that level of support from a union membership for industrial action to go ahead. |
| “If the government has pushed us outside the law, they will have to stand the consequences,” the union leader told the Radio 4 Today programme on Tuesday. | |
| He said coordinated action from public sector workers was “very likely and very much on the cards”. | He said coordinated action from public sector workers was “very likely and very much on the cards”. |
| Speaking earlier at the annual Trades Union Congress conference, he reminded supporters that the need to always act inside the law had been removed from the union’s rule book. | Speaking earlier at the annual Trades Union Congress conference, he reminded supporters that the need to always act inside the law had been removed from the union’s rule book. |
| “We took that out because we know that if the bosses and the privileged elite want to push us outside the law, so be it. It won’t stop us standing up,” he said. | “We took that out because we know that if the bosses and the privileged elite want to push us outside the law, so be it. It won’t stop us standing up,” he said. |
| Jeremy Corbyn will address the conference on Tuesday afternoon in Brighton, but he will be under pressure to say whether he would support breaking the law to challenge the government over the public sector pay cap. | |
| In a speech to the conference, the Labour leader will urge young workers to ignore the way unions are “demonised” in the press and to safeguard their rights, particularly in the gig economy, by joining one. | In a speech to the conference, the Labour leader will urge young workers to ignore the way unions are “demonised” in the press and to safeguard their rights, particularly in the gig economy, by joining one. |
| “If you want a job that pays a decent wage, gives you the chance to get on in life, live independently and enjoy your work, then join a trade union. Do it today,” Corbyn will say. “I know, it’s a shock that billionaire, tax-dodging press barons don’t like trade unions. And they don’t like us because our movement challenges unaccountable power of both government and bosses.” | “If you want a job that pays a decent wage, gives you the chance to get on in life, live independently and enjoy your work, then join a trade union. Do it today,” Corbyn will say. “I know, it’s a shock that billionaire, tax-dodging press barons don’t like trade unions. And they don’t like us because our movement challenges unaccountable power of both government and bosses.” |
| The shadow justice secretary, Richard Burgon, refused four times to say whether he would back illegal strike action. | The shadow justice secretary, Richard Burgon, refused four times to say whether he would back illegal strike action. |
| “We support trade unions and the campaigns of people to get the public sector pay cap scrapped. It’s for the trade unions to decide what actions they take,” he told Today. | “We support trade unions and the campaigns of people to get the public sector pay cap scrapped. It’s for the trade unions to decide what actions they take,” he told Today. |
| Other unions have taken a more cautious line, with Frances O’Grady, the TUC general secretary, saying a general strike would be a “last resort”. | Other unions have taken a more cautious line, with Frances O’Grady, the TUC general secretary, saying a general strike would be a “last resort”. |
| However, major unions passed a motion at the conference calling for joint action against the 1% public sector pay cap. | However, major unions passed a motion at the conference calling for joint action against the 1% public sector pay cap. |
| The composite motion called for “immediate steps to develop a coordinated strategy of opposition to the pay cap … including … pay demands, campaign activities, tactics, ballots and industrial action”. | The composite motion called for “immediate steps to develop a coordinated strategy of opposition to the pay cap … including … pay demands, campaign activities, tactics, ballots and industrial action”. |
| Ministers are expected to ease the cap for prison officers and police in the coming days but Theresa May is under pressure to end the seven-year freeze for teachers, nurses and other public sector workers. | Ministers are expected to ease the cap for prison officers and police in the coming days but Theresa May is under pressure to end the seven-year freeze for teachers, nurses and other public sector workers. |
| John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, has led Labour calls for an end to the cap. “The pay cap must now be lifted across the whole public sector rather than by playing one group of workers off against another,” he said. | John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, has led Labour calls for an end to the cap. “The pay cap must now be lifted across the whole public sector rather than by playing one group of workers off against another,” he said. |
| The PCS, which represents civil servants, is balloting all of its members on industrial action, a move which will be followed by the Prison Officers’ Association and the University and College Union. | |
| The proposed ballots are indicative, but can be used to gauge support across the membership for future industrial action. | |
| On Monday, Mark Serwotka, the head of the PCS, urged other public sector unions to consider balloting their members. He told TUC delegates: “Wouldn’t it be great if we could have coordinated ballots in the run-up to the budget.” | On Monday, Mark Serwotka, the head of the PCS, urged other public sector unions to consider balloting their members. He told TUC delegates: “Wouldn’t it be great if we could have coordinated ballots in the run-up to the budget.” |
| McCluskey has threatened to break the law several times since the government first threatened in 2015 to introduce a 40% threshold for strike ballots on public service union members. The rule, which was part of the trade union bill, has now passed into law. | |
| He told delegates at a fringe event on Sunday that he would be willing to break the law, and claimed the union had put aside £36m in case it got involved in lengthy disputes. |