The Trade Union Bill represents one of the most aggressive anti-trade union laws ever proposed in a Western democracy

11/09/2015

Latest article from General Secretary, Dave Prentis:

The Trade Union Bill represents one of the most aggressive anti-trade union laws ever proposed in a Western democracy. The Bill restricts rights protected by international law in England, Scotland and Wales.

Taken together with the Lobbying Act and the introduction of Employment Tribunal fees in Great Britain, the Bill is a further attempt to silence workers’ voices.

The Bill seeks to restrict industrial action further than international standards permit, to limit peaceful protest and to subject unions and union activists to unprecedented levels of state scrutiny.

Public sector workers are subjected to further attacks on their facility time and on their ability to pay their subs by DOCAS or ‘check off’.

As general secretary, I will personally oversee the union’s response to these ferocious attacks.

• UNISON will mount a vigorous opposition to the Bill in the Westminster Parliament, working with MPs and peers to defeat every section and every clause of this Bill.
• We will work with the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to oppose the Bill.
• We will mount legal challenges on human rights and raise our concerns with the United Nations.
• We will campaign to raise public awareness of the Bill and build public opposition to its draconian measures.
• We will take our opposition to the Tory Party conference in Manchester on 4 October and I call on all branches to be at this demo and our lobby of Parliament on 2 November too.
   
  Our campaign plan, linked to below, has been approved by our National Executive Council. It requires a whole union response at branch, regional and national level.

Everyone can, and must, play a part and I urge you all to join in our campaign to protect our union and our members from this government’s vicious attack on our movement.

 

Best wishes,

Dave Prentis, UNISON general secretary