Union boss Mick Lynch has said the Government's plans to bring in new laws to block industrial action proves it is "losing the argument". His comments come as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak revealed plans to bring in anti-strike laws.
Speaking today (January 6) at a picket line at Euston Station, the RMT general secretary told BBC Breakfast: "It is really important in a democratic society that we have free trade unions that represent working people and represent the biggest democratic force in this country. There is no bigger movement than the trade union movement, six or seven million people in it.”
When asked about the proposed new laws, Mr Lynch said: “What this is a symbol of is that the Government are losing the argument. “They’ve lost the argument on austerity and pay, and the state of our national public services.
“And instead they want to close that argument down by closing down the unions and stopping us from campaigning against poverty.”
He went on to say that the new industrial action legislation is a threat to sack union members if they use their rights to refuse to go to work. He said the new laws would effectively "conscript" union members.
Mr Lynch said: “We have to name who will go to work, and if those members in a lawful manner don’t want to cross our picket line they can be dismissed individually and the union can be fined. So we will have to see what the law says.”
The Prime Minister has said he wants to reform strike laws to ensure 'minimum service levels' are met. It has been reported that ministers intend to make industrial action illegal in some sectors including the health service, rail, education, fire and border security.
This would mean a proportion of union members would have to continue to work. And Mr Sunak refused to rule out people being sacked for failing to go to work during action.
