The UK Government’s Trade Union Bill would be an attack on the “human rights” of the Dundee workforce and catastrophically undermine relationships with staff, city councillors said.
Dundee City Council has agreed to write to the UK Government stating its opposition to the Bill after hearing predictions of a nationwide workforce meltdown.
They were told that “widespread industrial unrest” could follow the imposition of tough new restraints upon trade union organisation and the ability of workers to hold public rallies and strike.
In September plans to tighten rules on trade union strike ballots in Britain passed their first Commons hurdle, despite fierce Labour opposition.
MPs backed the Trade Union Bill, which proposes higher voting thresholds for ballots, with the Government adamant it was “not a declaration of war” but a necessary measure to stop “endless” threats of industrial action.
The Bill has, however, been described by Mike Arnott from the STUC Dundee Branch as “a naked attack” that would “curtail the ability of trade unions to protect our staff and our communities” and could lead to “industrial unrest across the country”.
Under the terms of the Bill, the Conservative Government would introduce thresholds for industrial action and a 14-day notification period to taking industrial action and limits on facility time, make unlawful picketing a criminal rather than civil offence and restrict trade unions’ use of social media during industrial disputes.
Dundee City Council signalled its support for the trade unions by agreeing with near unanimity to back opposition to the Bill, after a motion was put forward by Labour councillor Richard McCready, who spoke against the Trade Union Bill at the Scottish Labour Party Conference.
He said: “I am proud to be a member of the GMB, a trade union with a long and proud tradition of improving the lot of workers right across the country.
“The Conservative Government is proposing to bring in legislation that will limit the freedoms of trade unions. I think that people have a human right to organise in the way in which they see fit.
“The Government is planning to legislate to limit the freedom to organise and there is also a proposal to allow the use of agency staff to break strike action.
“Strike action is taken as a last resort and not taken lightly. It is a human right to be able to withdraw your labour and just wrong that attempts are made to undermine that right.”
The sole dissenting voice was that of Conservative councillor Derek Scott, who told colleagues: “I think the trade unions provide a vital service but I think it is wrong that trade union leaders can hold the nation to ransom and inconvenience so many people.”