27 January 2017

The thresholds on industrial ballots agreed in the Trade Union Act 2016 (TUA) will come into force on March 01 2017.

In the House of Lords this week, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Lord Prior of Brampton confirmed that the 40% support threshold on ballots in "important" public services as well as the 50% turnout threshold on all industrial action ballots will come into effect on the same day.

Other sections of the Act will also come into force on March 01 including the requirement for unions to provide two weeks' notice of industrial action to employers (double the one week currently required); new picketing rules; and the requirement for unions to provide more detailed information about the outcomes of ballots.

The Lords voted in six statutory instruments, five of them relating to the new definitions of "important" public services, as published last week. The sixth related to a 12-month transition period before new restrictions on unions political funds come into force.

Once more, the passing of the statutory instruments may put Westminster at loggerheads with Wales, which is currently debating the Trade Union (Wales) Bill with the aim of repealing sections of the Act as they pertain to Welsh public services.

The IER calls for the repeal of the Trade Union Act in its entirety as we argue that it will lead to an increase in inequality and attrition between employers and employees. In our Manifesto for Labour Law, 25 recommendations for the reform of employment law which have been backed by the Labour Party, we propose that trade unions become central to the agreement and enforcement of labour standards across the UK, allowing employers' and workers' representatives to negotiate for fair wages and conditions across sectors.

Restricting the right to strike removes unions' leverage around the negotiating table and exaggerates the already imbalanced power dynamic between employers and workers, where workers are currently forced to accept whatever conditions they are offered.

Read more about the Manifesto for Labour Law and support our cause