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| Strike changes: What do they mean? | |
| (3 days later) | |
| Among the many proposals to be detailed in the Queen's Speech are plans to toughen up trade union strike laws. | Among the many proposals to be detailed in the Queen's Speech are plans to toughen up trade union strike laws. |
| The Queen's Speech is used by the government to set out the laws it hopes to get approved by Parliament in the year ahead. | The Queen's Speech is used by the government to set out the laws it hopes to get approved by Parliament in the year ahead. |
| Business Secretary Sajid Javid has said that reforming strike laws is a government priority. | Business Secretary Sajid Javid has said that reforming strike laws is a government priority. |
| The BBC's John Moylan looks at what we know about the planned changes so far. | The BBC's John Moylan looks at what we know about the planned changes so far. |
| What is being proposed? | What is being proposed? |
| According to the Department for Business the changes to the strike ballot rules are likely to include: | According to the Department for Business the changes to the strike ballot rules are likely to include: |
| How much harder does it make a strike? | How much harder does it make a strike? |
| The TUC says that the new thresholds will make legal strikes close to impossible. | The TUC says that the new thresholds will make legal strikes close to impossible. |
| "Union negotiators will be left with no more power than Oliver Twist when he asked for more," a spokesperson said. | "Union negotiators will be left with no more power than Oliver Twist when he asked for more," a spokesperson said. |
| It will be a particular problem in the public sector where postal ballots of large workforces rarely achieve high turnouts. | It will be a particular problem in the public sector where postal ballots of large workforces rarely achieve high turnouts. |
| Even if unions achieve the 50% turnout, they then need 40% of those eligible to vote to back the action. That amounts to an 80% vote in favour of strikes. | Even if unions achieve the 50% turnout, they then need 40% of those eligible to vote to back the action. That amounts to an 80% vote in favour of strikes. |
| The major public sector strikes on pay and pension reform during the last parliament would not have been possible based on the new thresholds. | The major public sector strikes on pay and pension reform during the last parliament would not have been possible based on the new thresholds. |
| The PCS Union, which frequently calls strikes amongst its members in the civil service, has never achieved a 50% turnout on a national ballot. | The PCS Union, which frequently calls strikes amongst its members in the civil service, has never achieved a 50% turnout on a national ballot. |
| The government says that working people need to know that they can rely upon essential services. | The government says that working people need to know that they can rely upon essential services. |
| A spokesperson said: "Strikes should always be the result of a clear, positive decision by those balloted. That is why we will legislate to stop undemocratic industrial action and ensure that the interests of working people are protected." | A spokesperson said: "Strikes should always be the result of a clear, positive decision by those balloted. That is why we will legislate to stop undemocratic industrial action and ensure that the interests of working people are protected." |
| How does it compare to other countries? | How does it compare to other countries? |
| Trade unions say the UK already has some of the toughest strike laws in the world. | Trade unions say the UK already has some of the toughest strike laws in the world. |
| But making comparisons with other countries is not straightforward. | But making comparisons with other countries is not straightforward. |
| In countries such as France and Germany unions are more involved in decisions. The use of work councils, where both unions and employers are represented, means workers tend to have more of a say in negotiating pay. This means that the industrial relations climate tends to be less confrontational. But major strikes - like the current dispute by German train drivers - are not uncommon. | In countries such as France and Germany unions are more involved in decisions. The use of work councils, where both unions and employers are represented, means workers tend to have more of a say in negotiating pay. This means that the industrial relations climate tends to be less confrontational. But major strikes - like the current dispute by German train drivers - are not uncommon. |
| Some European countries don't require unions to hold a strike ballot to call industrial action. Of those that do, few specify a turnout threshold. Most require a simple majority to back strike action. | Some European countries don't require unions to hold a strike ballot to call industrial action. Of those that do, few specify a turnout threshold. Most require a simple majority to back strike action. |
| What do the trade unions say? | What do the trade unions say? |
| Unions regard the UK government's move as an attack on the fundamental human right of workers to withdraw their labour. | Unions regard the UK government's move as an attack on the fundamental human right of workers to withdraw their labour. |
| They say that the thresholds do not apply to any other elections, like those for Police Commissioners and the Mayor of London. And they think that if the government were serious about increasing participation in voting it would allow electronic balloting or secret balloting in the workplace. | They say that the thresholds do not apply to any other elections, like those for Police Commissioners and the Mayor of London. And they think that if the government were serious about increasing participation in voting it would allow electronic balloting or secret balloting in the workplace. |
| The TUC warns that turnout thresholds can make an abstention a better way of objecting to a strike than a no vote. They say that it cannot be right to encourage people not to participate in a ballot. | The TUC warns that turnout thresholds can make an abstention a better way of objecting to a strike than a no vote. They say that it cannot be right to encourage people not to participate in a ballot. |
| Source: TUC | Source: TUC |