MOBILISING FOR TRADE UNION FREEDOM

RMTnews :: april 2006 :: www.rmt.org.uk 10 N ine years of Labour government and trade unions are stilled shackled by restrictions which prevent them from defending their members. While the government has made progress, including the statutory recognition procedures, it has not repealed most of the Tory anti-union laws. Tony Blair wrote in advance of the Labour law reforms of his government, that he “would leave British law the most restrictive on trade unions in the western world”. HE WAS NOT WRONG The United Campaign for the Repeal of Anti-Union Laws has been pressing for a Trade Union Freedom Bill supported by both TUC and Labour Party conferences last year. Around 130 MP have now signed the Early Day Motion 1170 in support of the Bill. The bill seeks to prevent employers sacking workers who take lawful industrial action. It says that those on strike cannot be replaced by agency labour, and it requires employers seeking urgent injunctions against trade unions who call members out on strike to show that they have a stronger case than the union. At the moment, the employer only has to show that there is “a serious issue to be tried”, which there is in almost every case. SOLIDARITY The Trade Union Freedom Bill will also allow unions to organise solidarity action, after a ballot, in support of members in workplaces which are closely connected. For RMT members, where privatisation has resulted in members working side by side but for different employers, this would be an important right. It would prevent another Gate Gourmet situation, where the TGWU was unable legally to support airport baggage handlers who wanted to take solidarity action in support of vulnerable catering workers. The bill also seeks to simplify the requirements in issuing industrial action notices, and remove some of the most onerous balloting requirements which can lead to ballots being declared void just because of an accidental error by the union. The United Campaign does not claim that the Trade Union Freedom Bill addresses all the injustices and breaches of international law by UK law in relation to workers and trade unions. The Bill seeks modern rights for the 21st century. It goes a little way towards restoration of the freedoms of trade unions as they were established 100 years ago by the Trade Disputes Act 1906. Unions should expect nothing less than freedom to carry out their fundamental purpose, defined by statute as “the regulation of relations between workers and employers” a purpose protected by the European Convention on Human Rights which requires that trade unions are free to protect the interests of their members. We expect the Bill to be drafted and out for consultation by the spring. Efforts will be made to raise its profile as a Ten Minute and Private Members Bill. John McDonnell, chair of the RMT parliamentary group, is a key supporter of the Bill. Speaking about the recent Early Day Motion 1170, tabled by Tony Lloyd MP, John McDonnell said that stark lessons learnt in the Gate Gourmet dispute have prompted a campaign for trade union rights with wide-ranging support demonstrated across the Labour Party and the trade unions. “This campaign is gaining an unstoppable momentum for legislation to restore trade union rights which I believe no Labour leader will be able to resist,” he said. This May Day will see a TUC-backed national march and rally in support of the bill, in central London. It is imperative that Britain's trade unionists march to unshackle the unions and a Trade Union Freedom Bill on May Day. More information is available at www.tuc.org.uk/mayday MOBILISING FOR TRADE UNION FREEDOM Come to London on Monday May 1 to march in support of the Trade Union Freedom Bill SO WHAT CAN RMT MEMBERS DO? • As an individual, through your union, or other organisation, support and attend the march and rally – to coincide with May Day • Invite speakers for meetings, • Support the lobby of parliament in Autumn 2006 • Send your MP a message to sign up to the Early Day Motion 1170 or congratulate those that have. A model letter can be found in the campaigns section of the RMT website • Join the lobby of Parliament being planned for December on the centenary of the Trades Disputes Act 1906 To contact the United Campaign for Trade Union Rights email: info@unitedcampaign.org.uk or post to the United Campaign, PO Box 17556, London EC2Y 8PA And join the campaign at http://www.unitedcampaign.org.uk/join.html