London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 07, 2026

Union protest against law on minimum service levels during strikes

Union protest against law on minimum service levels during strikes

The TUC is warning that workers could be sacked even if they legally vote to take industrial action.
A protest is being held on Monday against the Government’s controversial legislation on minimum levels of service during strikes, which unions warn could lead to workers being sacked for legally voting to take industrial action.

Union leaders involved in the current wave of strikes will speak at the event in Parliament Square and will criticise the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill, which returns to Parliament for MPs to discuss amendments put forward by the Lords.

The TUC has warned that the right to strike of one in five workers is at risk, as the Bill means that when workers lawfully vote to strike in health, education, fire, transport, border security and nuclear decommissioning, they could be forced to attend work and sacked if they do not comply.

The TUC said MPs have been given few details on how minimum service levels will operate, adding that the legislation has faced a “barrage” of criticism, including from employer groups.

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak told the PA news agency that Conservative MPs should “vote with their conscience” and oppose the Bill.

It’s no surprise that politicians, employers and rights groups are queuing to condemn this spiteful Bill

He warned that the legislation would worsen industrial relations and prolong strikes.

“Do MPs really want to see teachers, nurses or railway workers sacked for taking lawful industrial action?

“This draconian legislation is a step too far.

“It’s undemocratic, unworkable and if it gets onto the statute book very likely unlawful, and it will poison industrial relations and exacerbate disputes rather than help resolve them.

“It’s no surprise that politicians, employers and rights groups are queuing to condemn this spiteful Bill.”

Mr Nowak said the TUC will explore “every possibility” of mounting a legal challenge to the legislation when it becomes law.

“Ministers must step back from the brink, ditch this draconian Bill for good and protect the right to strike.”

He warned of a “huge reaction” if and when the first worker is sacked under the legislation.

Labour has promised to repeal the Bill if it wins the next general election.

The House of Lords put forward a number of amendments, including ensuring that failure to comply with a so-called work notice under the legislation was not a breach of contract so a worker could not be sacked.

The Lords also want an amendment that unions do not have any responsibility or obligation to ensure their members comply with a work notice.

Speakers at the protest will include Mr Nowak and Mick Lynch, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, which has been embroiled in a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.

Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack said: “The UK already has the most restrictive anti-union laws in the developed world and the result of this is that we have suffered from falling wages and sharper exploitation.

“An inspiring wave of resistance has swept the country in the past year, but instead of negotiating with workers, this Government of millionaires is seeking to have key workers sacked and victimised. They want to drive wages down even further so their big business backers can cash in.

“There is a growing movement of resistance to this legislation and the FBU is committed to building a mass movement of non-compliance if it becomes law.

“We are seeing a workers’ revolt against hard-right government with no mandate for its policies. That revolt will continue whatever happens today.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
HMRC’s 2029 Tax Shift Could Overlap Old and New Self-Assessment Bills
Thetford Disorder Prompts Expanded Police Powers Amid Asylum-Housing Protests
Cambridge Faces Calls for Independent Review of Jason Arday Appointment
Scotland’s ‘Cock of the North’ Woodland Is Being Felled After Wind Damage
Reform UK and Greens Unite Against Vast Solar Plans for Kent Marshland
New Zealand Draws Wealthy Americans With Revamped Investor Visa
Senate Panel Votes to Hold Anthony Fauci in Contempt After Fifth Amendment Testimony
Cambridge Professor Jason Arday Resigns as University Opens Inquiry Into His Credentials
Manchester Power Failure Disrupts Trains Across North West Into Friday
UK Fashion and Tourism Sectors Prepare for Strong Summer and Autumn Activity
London Residents Seek Appeal Against Approval for Chinese Super-Embassy Development
UK Environment Officials Issue Biosecurity Alert Over Rising Bluetongue Cases in Livestock
UK Charity Regulator Opens Investigations Into Donations Linked to Israeli Settlements
Gatwick Expansion and Chinese Embassy Plans Highlight Growing UK Infrastructure Disputes
UK Agriculture Authorities Warn of Rising Bluetongue Virus Cases Among Sheep Farms
UK Watchdog Finds Electronic Monitoring Failures Leaving Some Offenders Without Timely Alerts
Metropolitan Police Investigate Covent Garden Knife Attack That Injured Four Men
UK Government Confirms Severe Terror Threat Level as Prevent Programme Expands
Diageo Plans Guinness Expansion While Cutting Jobs Through Global Restructuring Programme
Bank of England Keeps UK Borrowing Costs Stable While Markets Await Future Rate Cuts
Gatwick Airport Wins Approval for Second Runway Expansion After Legal Challenges Fail
Apple Challenges UK Government Over Demand for Access to Encrypted iCloud Data
London Approves First Autonomous Taxi Licences for Wayve and Uber Passenger Trials
UK Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute Finds Advanced AI Models Showing Deceptive Behaviour in Security Tests
UK Small Boat Channel Crossings Fall Forty-Three Percent as Government Highlights France Cooperation
UK Government Plans Procurement Reforms to Boost British Jobs and Domestic Steel Supply Chains
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at Three Point Seven Percent as Inflation Stays Above Target
EY Raises UK 2026 Growth Forecast to Zero Point Nine Percent as Energy Risks Remain a Concern
UK Artificial Intelligence Regulation and Public Infrastructure Investment Remain Key Policy Focus Areas
Kemi Badenoch Faces Criticism Over Appointment of Former Neo-Nazi Linked Figure to Advisory Role
AG Barr Reports £10 Million Sales Loss After Supply Chain and Planning Failures
UK Government Fast-Tracks Specialist Care Pathways for Motor Neurone Disease Patients
UK Government Connects More Than 60,000 Rural Homes and Businesses to Gigabit Broadband
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Forecast After Strong Summer Sales
Metropolitan Police Arrest Woman After Four Men Stabbed in Central London’s Covent Garden Area
UK Procurement Reform and Infrastructure Spending Signal New Focus on Regional Economic Growth
UK Government Expands Global Talent Visa Access for International Researchers and Innovators
NHS Launches £343 Million Expansion of Community Mental Health Centres Across England
UK Treasury Explores Higher Borrowing Capacity for Infrastructure and Housing Investment
UK Cabinet Office Reforms Procurement Rules to Direct £90 Billion of Public Spending Toward Jobs and Skills
UK Government Considers Public Inquiry Into Jeffrey Epstein’s Activities and Possible Institutional Failures
Britain’s AI Safety Institute Finds Advanced Models Creating Fake Identities and Malicious Code During Tests
Lightning Strike Kills Yala FC Player During Match in Southern Thailand
Senate Scrutinises AI-Driven Personalised Pricing
Spain Seeks Mainland Transfers for 1,100 Children Stranded in Ceuta
UK Government Pushes New Procurement, Skills and Technology Policies Amid Economic Pressure
UK Charity Commission Investigates Donations Linked to Israeli Settlement Groups
UK Government Faces Pressure Over Possible Windfall Tax on Bank Profits
South East Water Provides Emergency Support After Kent Supply Disruptions
UK Defence Supports US Operation to Seize Russian-Flagged Oil Tanker in North Atlantic
×