The protests are being coordinated by Enough is Enough
Protests are set to take place outside the offices of Tory MPs on Saturday January 14. The protests, coordinated by Enough is Enough, are in response to the government’s proposed law to require minimum service levels in some sectors during strike action.
The legislation – branded the ‘anti-strike bill’ – has been condemned by trade unions, who argue that it would undermine the right to strike and make effective picketing illegal.
Enough is Enough has called protests outside the offices of four Tory MPs. Those targeted by the group are business secretary Grant Shapps, Blyth Valley MP Ian Levy, Bolton West MP Chris Green and government whip Damien Moore.
The anti-strike bill passed its first stage in the House of Commons earlier this week. The legislation will need to go through a number of further stages in both the Commons and the House of Lords before it becomes law.
Prior to the bill being presented to parliament, the Trades Union Congress general secretary Paul Nowak said, “This is an attack on the right to strike. It’s an attack on working people. And it’s an attack on one of our longstanding British liberties. It means that when workers democratically vote to strike, they can be forced to work and sacked if they don’t. That’s wrong, unworkable, and almost certainly illegal.”
Saturday’s protests are part of a wider campaign Enough is Enough is running to defend the right to strike. Earlier this week, the group’s petition on the issue passed 150,000 signatures.
Enough is Enough was launched in 2022. The campaign group has been backed by the CWU union, Tribune magazine, and the community union ACORN.
Chris Jarvis is head of strategy and development at Left Foot Forward
Image credit: Steve Eason – Creative Commons
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