[IER] Wales throws out Trade Union Act

Fri Jul 21 17:56:45 BST 2017

IER News Brief 21/07/17

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Friday 21st July 2017

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Wales this week repealed the Trade Union Act <http://ier.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3&id=fa0f1f3235&e=71131c031b>  as it pertains to public sector workers in the devolved nation.

Those workers who would have fallen under legislation affecting "important public services", will no longer have to meet the 40% support threshold on industrial action ballots; and will not face restrictions to their check-off systems or facility time.

Local Government Secretary Mark Drakeford explained: "We always said that the Trade Union Act was unnecessary and would lead to more confrontational relationships between employers and workers, undermining rather than supporting public services and the economy."

A spokesperson for the UK government said Westminster stands by its view that industrial relations is not a devolved area of the law and that it "will act at the next available opportunity" to make all public services in great Britain comply with its divisive Act. 

The Institute of Employment Rights argues that the Trade Union Act 2016 must be repealed across the UK. Reducing trade union powers further weakens workers' ability to have a democratic voice in the workplace - an issue the government's own Taylor Review recently highlighted as critical to protecting workers from exploitation.

Lastly, a correction from last week's News Brief: A typo in the text reported that the European Convention on Human Rights would not be brought into UK Law. This should have read the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Our apologies for this error. 

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