LONDON, July 15, 2015
Rules likely to be welcomed by Indian-owned companies
Treasury and Opposition benches clashed in the British Parliament over
the new Trade Union Bill introduced on Wednesday, which if passed will
restrict the right of unions to resort to industrial action.
The announcement, which comes after a recent 24-hour strike by London
tube workers, is being seen as an attempt not only to further restrict
the right to strike, but to also neutralise the considerable political
clout of British trade unions in Parliament.
Right of working people
Prime Minister David Cameron and Opposition leader Harriet Harman crossed swords over the issue at the Prime Minister’s Question Time in Parliament, with Ms. Harman calling it an attack on “the right of working people to have a say on their pay and conditions”.
Prime Minister David Cameron and Opposition leader Harriet Harman crossed swords over the issue at the Prime Minister’s Question Time in Parliament, with Ms. Harman calling it an attack on “the right of working people to have a say on their pay and conditions”.
Among the battery of changes proposed by Business Secretary Sajid Javid
will be a 50 per cent threshold for ballot turnout, and a further
threshold of 40 per cent (of the 50 per cent) of support for a strike.
According to the present U.K. laws, unions have to ballot their members
and must get at least 40 per cent support before a strike call can be
given.
The new bill also sets a four-month time limit for industrial action.
The bill seeks also to reduce the money that unions currently have to
campaign with or to donate (to parties such as Labour). Now, union
members must “opt in” to pay a political levy, which is currently
automatic unless members opt-out.
The rules are likely to be welcomed by Indian-owned companies in the
U.K, which, according to the consultancy Grant Thornton, collectively
employ 110,000 workers.
The present bill is seen as more draconian than the labour reforms brought in by the Thatcher government in 1985.
The trade union movement faces an “existential crisis” if the laws come
into force, Alex Thornton, former president of the RMT union told The Hindu.
Source : http://www.thehindu.com/
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