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The United Campaign To Repeal The Anti-Trade Union LawsPO Box 17556 |
IntroductionMost anti-trade union law was introduced by the Conservatives between 1979 and 1995. These laws strengthened employers and weakened workers. They undermined trade union constitutions making them less effective. These laws must be repealed, not only because they are repressive, but also because they are illegal in themselves - they contravene the UK’s international obligations under ILO Conventions, the Social Charter of the Council of Europe and United Nations declarations and covenants. The Employment Relations Bill (based on the Fairness at Work White Paper), will still leave most anti-trade union laws in place. As Tony Blair wrote on 31st March 1997, the changes introduced in the Employment Relations Bill "would leave British law the most restrictive on trade unions in the western world." In particular the Bill still does not give British workers the right to strike as in all other European countries. Positive legislation in the field of industrial relations is required - laws which will protect trade unions from legal attacks, allow them to operate democratically and protect their members; laws which restore and extend collective bargaining, give each worker the right to strike and be represented by a union, protect workers against exploitation and provide the basis for a fairer and more just society. |