Tories outline strike law pledge

The Conservative Party has outlined plans to tighten the law on strike ballots if it wins the 2015 election.

Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude said the Tory manifesto would include the requirement for at least half of eligible union members to vote in order for a strike to be lawful.

There would also be a three-month time limit after the ballot for the action to take place.

Unions said the measures would make legal strikes "close to impossible".

Time limit

It comes after a day of strikes earlier this month by public sector workers, including teachers, fire crews and council staff, triggered by disputes with the government over pay, pensions and cuts.

Ahead of the 10 July industrial action, Prime Minister David Cameron told MPs it was "time to legislate" to set a minimum turnout for a strike ballot.

The strikes sparked a debate about ballot laws

Under the current law, a strike can take place if it is backed by a simple majority of those union members who vote - regardless of the level of turnout.

As well as the 50% threshold, Mr Maude also pledged to require unions to set out on the ballot paper the exact form or action they were proposing, with a vote on each aspect of the dispute.

The Tories would also end "rolling mandates" for industrial action with the three-month limit - citing the National Union of Teachers, which is using the result of a 2012 strike ballot to stage action now.

'Constructive role'

The Conservatives say they would also tighten the rules on picketing.

Mr Maude said the reforms were "sensible and proportionate".

He said: "I've always said that unions can play a constructive role in the modern workplace.

Francis Maude said the reforms were "sensible"

"But I've also warned that the more that union leaders pushed for disruptive strike action without even persuading a majority of their members to vote, the stronger the case would become for changing the law."

The Tories' coalition partners have criticised the proposals, with Liberal Democrat Business Secretary Vince Cable branding them "simply potty".

'Fundamental shift'

Frances O'Grady, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), said Britain already had some of the toughest strike laws of any democracy.

"These proposals are designed to make legal strikes close to impossible. Not a single MP would have been elected under these rules", she said.

"You cannot have proper negotiations between employers and unions without some power for the union side."

The changes would "fundamentally shift the balance of power in British workplaces in favour of the employer", she added.

Tories outline strike law pledge

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