Strike it out, says CBI
Jun 21 2010
“CBI calls to toughen up strike action”
Laws on strikes need to be toughened up, argues the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).
The CBI is calling for changes to rules around ballots so that industrial action can only go ahead if 40 per cent of the balloted workforce support it.
John Cridland, deputy director general of the CBI, says: ‘As we enter a period of fragile recovery, we need to do everything we can to create a jobs market that works for Britain, and to ensure Britain is the place to work.
‘Strikes cost the economy dearly and undermine our efforts to help rebuild the economy. That is why we believe the bar needs to be raised so strike action is not possible unless 40 per cent of the workforce has actively voted to withdraw its labour.’
However, Brendan Barber, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, says the UK has some of the toughest legal restrictions on the right to strike in the advanced world. ‘The courts regularly strike down democratic ballots that clearly show majority support for action. The number of days lost to industrial action is historically low and less than in many other countries.
'Any further restrictions would be extremely unfair and almost certainly breach the UK's international human rights obligations. The new government's commitments to civil liberties are welcome, but the CBI seems to think human rights stop at the workplace door,’ he says.
The call comes as The Communication Workers Union ballots for strike action over pay at BT, which could result in a walkout of half of the telecom’s workforce.