Commenting on the announcement that the new government is to repeal the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023, which threatened to worsen industrial relations across essential services, UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said today (Tuesday):
“This was a terrible law. It’s great the government is ditching it so early on. Good riddance to a bad law.
“This legislation should have never reached the statute book. No one wanted minimum service levels, only a spiteful government watching power drain away and desperate to shore up its rapidly disappearing support.
“No employer used the law because doing so would have ramped up tensions, prolonged strikes and risked the wrath of the public.
“Ambulance workers and other key staff don’t ever want to go on strike, but should they ever need to, they deserve the same rights as other UK workers.”
“Essential cover is always provided in health disputes. Now this pernicious law has been kicked to the kerb, health workers and their unions can focus on working with government and employers to get the NHS back on its feet.”
Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.
Media contacts:
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk
Mark Conrad M: 07809 623703 E: m.conrad@unison.co.uk
The article Good riddance to a bad law, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.
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