THE TRADE UNION BILL
Being debated in Westminster this autumn
Could be heading to your workplace next year
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
AN ATTACK ON WORKING PEOPLE
• Damages our ability to organise, bargain and negotiate in the workplace
• Restrict fundamental democratic rights, with participation thresholds for
ballots and use of agency workers to break strikes
• Interferes in our internal arrangements and damages our campaigning
work by attacking our political funds
• Attack our right to protest by allowing police to issue ASBOs on picket
lines and monitoring our campaigns with 14 days notice needed of all
materials including use of social media.
THE RIGHT TO STRIKE - THRESHOLDS
• Imposes a 50% turnout threshold on industrial action ballots
• Requires a 40% yes vote in ‘important’ public services
(including health and education).
• That means if 50% of members vote, 80% of those must vote
yes.
• ‘Important public services’ affects UNISON members working in
health and education (anyone in education delivering services
to people under 17).
• If a group of workers spend part of their time delivering a
service in an ‘important’ area, they would be covered by the
40% threshold.
DEMOCRATIC?
• Unions won’t be allowed to use electronic or workplace ballots
• Even if a ballot passes all thresholds, a host of legal
technicalities could stop industrial action
• Unions will have new time limits on ballot mandates. After four
months, whether a dispute is resolved or not, unions will have
to re-ballot.
• Employers will be allowed to use agency workers to defeat
strikes
BETTER RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK?
• Organising and campaigning to meet the new
thresholds is likely to raise the stakes – prolonging
and escalating disputes
• Thresholds will remove the incentive on employers to
seek an early resolution.
• Time limits for strike mandates are likely to escalate
disputes, with employers choosing to sit out disputes
and refusing to negotiate knowing that unions are
required to re-ballot their members after 4 months.
SOCIAL PARTNERSHIP?
• The right to strike is essential for effective bargaining and
partnership working
• Workers cannot depend on the benevolence of employers or
their voluntary efforts – it requires equal bargaining power.
• Collective bargaining helps employers, workers and supports
the provision of high quality public services.
• If it becomes law, it will prove hugely divisive in many
workplaces, affecting morale, stress, good will, staff turnover
and productivity - at a time when public services will be
under greater pressure than ever.
ATTACKS ON FACILITY TIME
• New powers requiring all public sector employers to publish
information on the amount of money used for trade union
facilities, including paid time off for local representatives.
• Gives the government the power to introduce a cap on the
amount of money public bodies can spend on facility time.
• Gives government the power to cap different trade union duties
and activities – threatening health and safety, workplace
learning and member representation
• Damages employee well-being, collective bargaining,
productivity, workplace safety and anti-discrimination work.
UNDERMINES THE RIGHT TO PROTEST
AN ATTACK ON ALL OUR CIVIL LIBERTIES
UNIONS COULD BE FORCED TO:
– Appoint picket supervisors who must wear armbands and carry letters of
authorisation, the absence of which could expose their unions to legal
action.
– publish picket and protest plans in advance, including use of websites,
blogs and social media, and what they will say.
– Campaigning activities subjected to unprecedented scrutiny and
monitoring by employers, police and the Certification Officer (CO).
– the introduction of new criminal offences and the use of ASBOs to
regulate the activities of pickets.
– Unless unions submit to excessive monitoring of websites and social media,
they will be forced to repudiate any members who might break the new rules
– or face enforcement action including financial penalties from the CO.
ATTACKS OUR POLITICAL FUNDS
STIFLING OUR DEMOCRATIC VOICE
• Once the Act comes into effect, UNISON will have three
months to get members to reconfirm in writing their political
fund decision.
• They will have to do this every five years
• UNISON, like many unions will have to change their rulebooks
to comply - making the three month deadline impossible
• Our Labour Link and GPF funds will be dramatically affected.
• GPF funded campaigns for fair pay, local projects and activities
such as anti-cuts campaigns, anti-racism campaigns or
campaigns against hospital closures will be damaged.
ATTACKS ON DOCAS/CHECK-OFF
• In August, the government announced they would be removing
“check off” in the public sector.
• Many UNISON members have their subscriptions taken straight
out of their wages – a process efficient and beneficial for both
employers and members.
• It fosters constructive employment relationships and supports
collective bargaining
• Public sector employers have spoken up to defend
DOCAS/Check Off
• If it becomes law, it will become a massive organisational
challenge for UNISON.
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
• Join the campaign – get organising in your workplace and your
community
• Our most compelling argument is the voices & stories of our members
• Arrange to meet your MP – they cannot give you a standard letter reply at
a face to face meeting
• Join the mass lobby of Parliament on 2nd November – or meet your MP in
your constituency.
• unison.org.uk/tradeunionbill – sign up for updates & pick up campaign
resources and briefings