The U.K. government, on Tuesday, introduced legislation in the House of Commons mandating minimum service levels (MSL) in key public sectors, a day after talks between trade unions and the Conservative government failed to make adequate progress. Under the proposed law, unions can be taken to court if a threshold level of service is not maintained in critical sectors. In the run-up to Tuesday, unions had criticized the legislation, calling it undemocratic, and questioning its legality and workability.
Introducing the Bill, Business Secretary Grant Shapps said the government believed in the right to strike but wanted to ensure the safety of the public. Earlier, Mr. Shapps had said ambulance workers had not provided a minimum level of service when they went on strike in December, resulting in the government’s decision to legislate. Key public sector employees had gone on strike for days in December, demanding better pay and working conditions, with more strikes planned this month.
“The British people need to know that when they have a heart attack, a stroke or a serious injury, that an ambulance will turn up and if they need hospital care, they have access to it,” Mr. Shapps said, adding that several other developed economies and democracies in Europe and elsewhere already had similar laws. The Bill covers six sectors –health, education, fire safety, transport, border security, and nuclear decommissioning.
Mr. Shapps said the administration hoped it would not need to use the powers in the Bill. The government is seeking to enter voluntary agreements in four of the six sectors: healthcare, education, border security, and nuclear decommissioning.
Responding to Mr. Shapps, Labour Deputy Leader accused the Conservatives of having caused the problem.
“The economic crisis made in Downing Street with sky-high inflation and recession has left working people facing an economic emergency,” she said.
The Trade Union Congress organized a meeting of unions, shortly after Mr. Shapps introduced the bill, to discuss coordinating strikes across sectors with “a day of action in pursuit of fair pay for public service workers”, as per a report in the Guardian.
