Conservatives Proposed Strike Ballot Threshold

Conservatives Proposed Strike Ballot Threshold

 

Last month the Conservatives announced that if re-elected in the General Election in May they would introduce a range of measures to curtail industrial action.

They plan to introduce a 40% Yes vote threshold of those entitled to vote in the Public Service Sector, this is on the back of a previously announced plan to require 50% of members entitled to vote returning ballot papers.

Included in these measures is a review of the Minimum Service Level which means that people can rely on core public services and ending the ban on using Agency staff to cover striking workers.

Also included in the measures are

• Tightening the rules on picketing
• Requiring longer notice of intended industrial action (now 7 days’ notice)
• Introducing a time limit after the ballot result to make rolling action much more difficult.

If these proposals were applied to MP’s, only 2% would have been elected legitimately at the last General Election, only 15 of the 303 Tory MPs elected gained that level of support.

But make no mistake if returned to government in May, the Tories will not hesitate to form a government without the 40% support of the electorate, in other words one rule for them one rule for us.

This is why we must return a Labour Government in May

Andy Beeby

Branch Political Officer