Many union members have supported workers around the world in their struggles to secure fairness, a voice and rights at work. Now members from global unions are supporting workers in the UK to protect our rights, the right to strike.
The right to strike is a fundamental liberty. We all have a right to remove our goodwill and labour in lawful and collective action in order to re-balance the power between employers (businesses or government) and workers.
Union members who vote for industrial action do so after making informed and considered decisions to secure, protect or defend their pay, terms, and conditions.
Campaigns, however, often run much deeper. Industrial action is collective action. Members understand through lived experiences the impact their issues have on colleagues, their profession, sector, or service, and often the well-being and health, and safety of all involved.
Union members who democratically vote to take strike action are responding to the actions, or indeed non-action, of their employer.
All employers, including government, have the ability to prevent or resolve disputes with workers through effective negotiations with independent trade union(s) that their workforce have chosen to join. Talks between employers and unions which are evidence based, approached in good faith, and have a solution purpose can settle disputes early and without the need for strikes.
By introducing these new laws, the UK government seeks to remove our right to strike, a direct attack on all working people and whilst doing so, they avoid their responsibility, as an employer, to negotiate with public sector unions.
The new laws will mean that even if workers who have a democratic legal ballot to take strike action could be forced to work and face dismissal if they don’t.
MPs are elected to represent our views, the views of their constituents, so join us in letting them know your views, loud and clear.
Protect the Right to Strike!
Get involved in the campaign
- Speak to your colleagues, friends and family, and ask them to get involved
- Write to or meet with your MP
- Sign the TUC’s online petition
By Collette Bradford, PDA Director of Organising and Engagement
Learn more
- PDA to host member event for national ‘protect the right to strike’ day
- PDA update on industrial action: why, how, and when strikes are called
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