Meeting of the Parliament 14 December 2023
It will be interesting to see what 2024 brings.
What I have to say about the legislation is threefold: it is wrong in effect, it is wrong in its analysis and, most fundamentally, it is wrong in principle.
Much of Murdo Fraser’s assertion was that we need it to bring us into line with Europe. He cited the House of Commons library briefing, but what he omitted was that that self-same briefing points out that minimum service levels do not work in the countries where they exist. Countries such as Spain and France lose far more days to strike than the United Kingdom does. Minimum service levels have ended up in the courts, gummed up and, frankly, getting in the way of industrial relations, not resolving them.
You do not even need to take my word for it; you have only to listen to the Government. The Government’s impact assessment stated that minimum service legislation could increase the number of strikes and disruption in the transport sector. Even the architect of the law, Andrew Gilligan from number 10, said that the plans may
“promote more industrial action than they mitigate”
and will not ensure smooth services. Those are not my words—they are Andrew Gilligan’s. Finally, the transport secretary stated, in December last year, that minimum service levels for rail were “not a solution” and that the way to get better service was to “resolve the disputes”. Amen to that! If only the Conservatives in the chamber today would listen to their own people.
However, the Conservatives are also wrong in analysis, because the contention is that we need the legislation for safety. That is simply nonsense. The Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 makes it illegal to strike when that endangers human life and limb. That is a Conservative law. You would think that they would know their own legislation. They also make a fundamental mistake in assuming that workers want to strike. They do not, especially not workers who work in healthcare, which is why we saw ambulance workers regularly breaking picket lines in order to do their duty. People who work in our public services want to serve the public. They want to help people and cure people. That is the analysis.
The Conservatives need to understand that the level of strikes that we are seeing is not because people want to strike but because of the frustration and despair that they feel after 13 years of Conservative government and the sorry state of our public services, as a result.
Most importantly, the Conservatives are wrong as a matter of principle.