A
Bill
is
being
presented
to
Parliament
today
which
sets
out
a
law
restricting
the
proportion
of
people
who
may
walk
out
during
transport
strikes.

The
RMT
has
called
for
‘the
fiercest
civil
resistance
possible’.

The
new
law
will
apply
even
if
the
strike
was
validly
called
under
previous
laws
which
oblige
unions
to
hold
membership
ballots,
give
notice
of
industrial
action
and
restrict
picketing.
The
Bill
is
receiving
its
First
Reading
just
after
the
RMT
had
announced
further
strikes
in
early
November.

The
Transport
Strikes
(Minimum
Service
Levels)
Bill
will
make
a
certain
level
of
service
mandatory.
Individual
members
of
staff
who
defy
the
new
law
by
joining
the
strike
will
lose
their
protection
from
automatic
unfair
dismissal,
while
unions
will
be
open
to
claims
for
damages.

The
level
of
service
to
be
provided
during
a
strike
must
be
agreed
between
employers
and
unions
and
will
apply
for
a
period
of
three
months.
If
the
two
sides
cannot
agree,
the
minimum
service
level
will
be
decided
by
the
Central
Arbitration
Committee,
which
is
a
tribunal
of
the
Department
for
Business,
Energy
&
Industrial
Strategy.
The
Bill
is
expected
to
become
law
next
year.

Prime
Minister
Liz
Truss
said:
‘Hardworking
people
and
businesses
should
not
be
held
to
ransom
by
strike
action
which
has
repeatedly
crippled
our
transport
network
this
year.’ 

Transport
secretary
Anne-Marie
Trevelyan
said:
‘Strikes
have
affected
nearly
all
of
us
over
this
last
year
–
whether
that
means
losing
out
on
a
day’s
pay
at
work,
having
to
close
your
business,
missing
vital
medical
appointments
or
stopping
our
children
from
getting
to
school.

‘It
is
vital
that
public
transport
users
have
some
continuity
of
service
to
keep
Britain
moving
and
growing – this
legislation
will
give
everyone
the
certainty
they
need
to
carry
on
with
their
daily
lives.’ 

RMT
general
secretary
Mick
Lynch
responded:
‘This
cynical
piece
of
legislation
outlaws
effective
legal
industrial
action
on
our
railways.

‘It
is
an
autocratic
move
from
an
increasingly
despotic
Prime
Minister
trying
to
cling
on.

‘All
democrats
whether
inside
or
outside
parliament
must
oppose
this
draconian
attempt
to
clamp
down
on
the
fundamental
human
right
to
strike.

‘RMT
and
the
entire
trade
union
movement
will
not
accept
unjust
anti-union
laws
and
I
call
upon
all
workers
in
Britain
to
mount
the
fiercest
civil
resistance
possible,
in
the
proud
traditions
of
the
chartists
and
suffragettes.’