Trade union leaders are pressing Sir Keir Starmer to include “oven ready” legislation to reverse Tory anti-strike laws in Labour’s first King’s Speech, amid fears the prime minister may deprioritise workers’ rights pledges. Trades Union Congress (TUC) president Matt Wrack, also general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), told The Independent that “words will not be enough” and rapid action is expected.
The concerns stem from a lack of communication and reports that deputy prime minister Angela Rayner is being sidelined in the government. Despite pushing employment rights talks while Labour was in opposition, her new brief as communities secretary does not give her clear control over the issue. Union leaders were also put on alert by Sir Keir’s comment to journalists that he will not accept pay demands from bosses for their members, in the context of stalled talks with junior doctors demanding a 35 per cent pay rise.
Mr Wrack called for the King’s Speech to contain substantial legislation to deliver Labour’s New Deal for Working People, with a specific timescale. He urged the repeal of the Minimum Service Levels Act and the 2016 Trade Act, which limit the right to strike. “Unions have been working with Labour officials for years… There is no reason for delay,” he said, noting Labour’s large Commons majority.
Top union priorities include scrapping the Tories’ minimum service legislation and reversing the 2015 Trade Union Act, which requires at least 40 per cent voter support in key public service strikes and extended notice periods. They also want an end to exploitative contracts like zero-hours and a ban on fire-and-rehire practices, as seen with P&O Ferries.
Sir Keir faces pressure to balance workers’ rights with business investment. While Labour wooed business leaders like Iceland’s Richard Walker, Unite, the biggest trade union, refused to endorse Labour’s manifesto and pulled funding. Unite’s general secretary Sharon Graham challenged the leadership to “borrow to invest” and break fiscal rules, warning that waiting for growth would endanger key industries like the steelworks at Port Talbot.
