Butt out Brussels!
Anger as EU bureaucrats condemn ministers’ crackdown on the strikers who want to bring Britain to standstill
BRUSSELS was told to butt out of British business last night for accusing the Government of breaking the Brexit deal by cracking down on disruptive strikes.
EU bureaucrats ‘expressed concerns’ that the new UK law to keep trains, schools and emergency services running during industrial action may breach the landmark Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
They claim the minimum-service levels legislation – which rail bosses have in any case refused to use – reduces employment rights in a way that the 2020 Brexit deal ruled out – even though many EU countries also have minimumservice level laws.
The European Commission is reportedly dissatisfied with the UK’s claim that the law does not create an issue because it is not related to cross-border trade.
There are now fears it could trigger a formal dispute, raising the prospect of a fresh trade war that could end in extra tariffs on UK exports to the bloc.
Last night, furious Brexiteers accused Brussels of overstepping the mark. Dame Priti Patel told the Mail: ‘It seems like this is the EU throwing its weight around, trying to meddle in affairs that are nothing to do with them.
‘The British people are sick of these public-sector strikes, and our Government is taking action to deal with them. We are a sovereign country and our Government and Parliament have legislated for these minimum- service levels. We don’t want to see the kind of paralysis from strikes that we see in Europe.’
Former Brexit minister David Jones said: ‘Minimum-service levels are essential to ensure disruption by industrial action is not allowed to exceed reasonable levels.
‘It is about time the EU recognised that the economic difficulties they are experiencing will continue unless there is reasonable regulation of industrial relations.’
An ex-Cabinet minister said Brussels had a ‘very weak case’ to escalate the dispute to a political level because the strikes law does not affect UK-EU trade. But they added: ‘They certainly think they’ve got the right to needle us.’
A Tory party source warned that Britain will be stuck with Brussels edicts if Labour is voted in, adding: ‘This is another example of how Labour’s plan to remain aligned to the EU is storing up problems.
‘Minimum- service levels are a practical solution to a long-running problem. Sadly, Sir Keir Starmer isn’t prepared to stand up to his union paymasters and admit that when workers strike lives and livelihoods are put at undue risk.’
The Government spokesman said: ‘Many members of the EU already have minimum-service levels legislation. There needs to be a balance between the right of workers to strike and the rights of the public, who expect essential services they pay for to be there when needed.’
Yesterday, unions reacted with fury after the Government required fire brigades to crew 73 per cent of fire engines. Fire Brigades Union leader Matt Wrack said: ‘This is an authoritarian plan.’ TUC general secretary Paul Nowak added: ‘ We will fight these draconian laws.’
‘Got the right to needle us’
EVEN though it’s four years since we left the EU, that hasn’t stopped Brussels attempting to interfere in our affairs.
This time, the bloc has warned it might start a trade war with Britain, claiming Rishi Sunak’s crackdown on strikes potentially breaches the Brexit deal.
What supreme arrogance. If we want to take sensible measures to get the British public to work or staff our hospitals through bouts of irresponsible industrial action, who are they to say we can’t?
Indeed, many member states themselves have anti- strike rules to keep public services running. And anyway, no one in the UK is bothering to deploy them.
This kind of high- handedness and obsessive meddling is why we quit the EU in the first place. And how right we were.