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British unions are reporting workers’ rights concerns over the government’s new anti-strike laws to a United Nations watchdog, saying they do not meet international legal standards.
Paul Novak, secretary-general of the Trade Union Congress, announced on Sunday that the organization would challenge the legislation to the International Labor Organization.
The union will vote at its annual union conference on Monday on whether to launch a “non-compliance” campaign with the law, which would require some staff to work during the strike.
The government’s legislation, approved by Parliament, aims to enforce minimum levels of services in eight areas of the economy, including the National Health Service (NHS).
The measures come after a wave of strikes began last summer, with public and private sector workers demanding higher wages amid a cost-of-living crisis.
Ministers legislate for minimum service levels for ambulance, fire and rail services.
They hope to reach voluntary agreements on five other areas covered by the law: education, border security, nuclear decommissioning and other health and transport services.
Novak said the trade union federation would launch a lawsuit against the International Labor Organization on the grounds that the government’s “harmful” legislation fell “far below” international legal standards.
He added that the laws were enacted by a government that was “undermining the fight against trade unions”.
Under the new system, company bosses will be able to issue “work notices” to unions specifying which employees must continue to work during the strike.
Employees who choose to strike despite being ordered to go to work will lose automatic protection against unfair dismissal.
A number of other European countries have also introduced minimum service levels in certain sectors, although the TUC considers these countries to have stronger trade union rights.
According to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, the International Labor Organization has recognized that minimum service agreements during industrial action may be reasonable.
But the committee said this would only be if the agreements involved important public services or would prevent a national crisis or harm to the public.
TUC representatives will be asked to vote on a motion calling for non-compliance with anti-strike laws proposed by the RMT rail union and the NASUWT teaching union.
The motion is expected to be approved and will call for a special meeting of the TUC to “explore the options of non-compliance and boycott”. It will also force the TUC to urge employers to help make minimum service levels “inoperable”.
A union official stressed that this does not mean members are breaking the law in any way.
A government spokesman said the anti-strike legislation was designed to protect the lives and livelihoods of the public and ensure they had access to vital public services during disruptive strikes.
“The legislation does not remove the ability to strike, but people expect the government to take action where their rights and freedoms are disproportionately affected, and that is what we have done in this bill,” she added.
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