In this video the authors of our recent publication, Protect the Right to Strike: Kill the Bill, Professor Keith Ewing and John Hendy QC discuss the Trade Union Bill.

John Hendy QC says: That this Bill is “an attack on the rights of unions having an industrial voice” that also aims to exclude “unions from having a political voice” as well as “an effective voice in civil society.” “Modern economists have pointed out that high levels of collective bargaining and high levels of workplace rights actually are conducive to a good economy […] this Bill is shooting the economy in the foot.” The Bill can be considered “illegal in the sense that these proposals are in breach of international treaties which Britain has ratified and therefore in breach of international law.”

Professor Keith Ewing says: That this Bill is “the most serious attack on trade union freedom in a generation.” In particularly it is “a massive attack on public sector trade unionism.” There are 3 major attacks on public sector trade unionism and these attacks are “one attacking financial security, two attacking workplace representation and thirdly attacking the right to strike.” The Bill is “a serious attack on the human rights of trade unions and civil liberties of trade unions. And a serious attack on the right to freedom of political expression.” It is “an extraordinary step backwards into the middle ages in terms of constitutional principle.”