02 Nov THE Government is trying to effectively outlaw strike action by the introduction of new laws on trade unions.
THE Government is trying to effectively outlaw strike action by the introduction of new laws on trade unions.
Speaking at a protest outside Parliament, he told GB News: “Well, the lobby today is about the new anti-trade union laws that are piled on top of the existing ones where they are trying to make the right to strike and the ability to strike virtually illegal.
“And the measures that they’re proposing, which were published last week, would mean that people could be named, in effect, conscripted to go to work during disputes, which would make strike action virtually impossible to carry out on a lawful basis.
“So those laws are an infringement on civil liberties. They’re an infringement on human rights, and the right to strike. And we’re here to oppose that. We think that every progressive person, every democrat should be against that.”
In an interview with GB news, he said: “We have an array of parliamentarians and MPs here today. And we’ve got to oppose it.
“It’s a restriction of freedom and it’s also the restriction of the ability to campaign against poverty.
“We’ve seen the impoverishment of British people on a continuous basis for the last two or three years, and that’s getting worse and worse.”
He added: “What they’re trying to do is clamp down on protests through the police bill that they’re bringing in but also the anti trade union laws, which are a basis for which people can rely, and they are the hope of working people in some ways.
“If we haven’t got effective trade unions, we haven’t got an effective democracy. So we’re here to lobby against that, and join with the other trade unions and parliamentarians to oppose this government’s draconian steps.”
On the proposed new laws, designed to maintain essential services, Mr Lynch said: “Well, we don’t have these kinds of laws in France and Spain. That’s what the government tells you. They’ve not ever been used in France, or Spain, or Italy, or Germany.
“They’ve never implemented these laws. They’re there for national emergencies, not for regular trade union disputes.”
He added: “What this Government should be doing is getting around the table or getting the advocates of the train operating companies and network to settle a dispute. We’ve got a new Secretary of State, who we’re hoping to meet, we’ve got a new rail minister we can meet, there is a settlement available to these issues.
“They are straightforward industrial disputes. We’re not holding anyone to ransom. And in fact, the public seems to be on our side, we believe, because they’re being ripped off by this Government in terms of their fears, but also in their workplaces.
“Everybody’s not getting a square deal at the minute and they want effective trade unions to counterbalance what the companies and this government are doing to them.”
