Union anger over agency staff idea
UNIONS have reacted with anger to planned legal changes to allow agency workers to fill in for striking staff, branding the Government as “desperate to distract from its numerous failings”.
The plan emerged in response to rail strikes later this month which will cripple train services because of disputes over pay, jobs, pensions and conditions.
The move would involve reversing a restriction preventing employers from hiring agency workers to cover for striking staff and would apply to all sectors, according to The Sunday Telegraph.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told the newspaper any legal intervention would not affect “this particular set of strikes” this month, but should the action continue then “further measures certainly would come in during this particular dispute, if it can’t be resolved”.
“I’ll be saying more about this. But we will be looking at the full suite of modernisation that’s required,” he said.
Plans to make the legal adjustment are reportedly being drawn up by officials in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
TUC deputy general secretary Paul Nowak said: “This Government is desperate to distract from its numerous failings by picking a fight with unions.
“Allowing agency staff to replace striking workers would undermine the right to strike and be extremely reckless.
“Bringing in less qualified and experienced staff to deliver important services would create genuine safety risks for the public and for the workforce.
“Using agency workers to try and break strikes would put these workers in an appalling situation, worsen disputes and poison industrial relations.
“Some may not realise until it is too late that they are being asked to break a strike.
“Having repeatedly promised a highwage economy, ministers now seem determined to reduce workers’ bargaining power and to make it harder for working people to win fair pay and conditions.
“Let’s call this out for what it is. The PM is throwing red meat to his rebellious backbenchers to try and shore up his position.”
Rail, Maritime and Transport union general secretary Mick Lynch said: “Grant Shapps needs to stop smearing the RMT and unshackle the rail operating companies so they can come to a negotiated settlement that can end this dispute.”
Writing in The Sun on Sunday, Mr Shapps said workers could also be banned from working overtime to make back pay lost during industrial action.
It comes after he told The Sunday Telegraph in May that ministers were looking at drawing up laws which would make industrial action illegal unless a certain number of staff are working.
Labour’s Rachel Reeves said she did not “want to see strikes” and called on the Government to work with industry instead of “sowing chaos, sowing division”.