What is the Government’s anti-strikes bill and who will it affect?

Opposition parties have accused ministers of rushing the legislation through the Commons in just two days, without it being properly scrutinised by MPs.

MPs are due to debate the bill at a second reading on Monday, January 16.

Unions have slammed the bill, and Business Secretary Grant Shapps has said the Government is expecting to fight unions in court.

What is the anti-strike bill?

The draft bill, titled Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill, was introduced to parliament by Mr Shapps.

The bill comes amid ongoing strike action across a number of industries, including transport, health, and education. Firefighters and postal workers have also walked out.

The thresholds for launching industrial action are expected to be raised and companies may be able to sue unions if minimum service levels are not met.

What powers will employers have if the bill passes?

If the Government’s bill passes, employers will be able to restrict the protection of trade unions from legal action, such as unfair dismissal.

Employers will also be able to require that “minimum service levels” are delivered during strike action.

The bill would restrict workers’ rights’ to withhold labour legally, making it difficult to take industrial action.

Who will the anti-strike bill impact?

The anti-strike bill would require employees in the following industries to provide “minimum service levels”:

What has Grant Shapps said about the bill?

When introducing the bill in Parliament, Mr Shapps said: “The Government has a duty to protect the public’s access to essential public services.

“Because whilst we absolutely believe in the right to strike, we’re duty bound to protect the lives and the livelihoods of the British people.”

He continued: “So I’m introducing a bill that would give the Government the power to ensure that vital public services will have to maintain a basic function by delivering minimum safety levels, ensuring that lives and livelihoods are not lost.”

How have unions responded to the bill?

The Public and Commercial Services union said it is “working with fellow trade unions and the TUC in fighting against this legislation”.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said the bill was “an attack on human rights and civil liberties”.

In a statement, he said: “The only reason this draconian legislation is being introduced is because the Government has lost the argument and wants to punish workers for having the temerity to demand decent pay and working conditions.

“The Government’s own impact assessment of minimum service levels shows it wouldn’t work. They would be better off coming to a negotiated settlement with unions through dialogue.”

Mick Whelan, Aslef’s general secretary, said: “Rishi Sunak, rather than doing the decent thing – the right thing – and negotiating with us, is trying to prevent thousands of workers from being able to withdraw their labour.

“That is what authoritarian governments in authoritarian states do. This is – or should be – a free country. In which it is possible – and perfectly legal – to take industrial action. Which is, after all, a fundamental human right.”

Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said: “Ministers should be putting all their energies into solving the NHS dispute, not worsening relations with health workers.

“Unions want to work with the Government to secure a pay deal, but attacking workers makes that much harder.”