Support our Nation today - please donate here
News

Anti-strike laws: ‘Bullyboy legislation’ must be stopped – Plaid Cymru

16 Jan 2023 2 minute read
Liz Saville Roberts MP

Liz Saville Roberts says the devolution of employment law is needed to protect Welsh workers’ rights from “relentless Westminster attacks”.

Plaid Cymru Westminster leader, is calling for Westminster’s “bullyboy” anti-strike legislation to stop and is urging the Labour Party to support devolving employment law in Wales.

The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill, which seeks to curb workers’ right to take industrial action, will have its second reading in the House of Commons today.

Ms Saville Roberts has described the proposed legislation as an “authoritarian attack” on the right to strike and accused Rishi Sunak of using it to distract from “the daily disruption to public services caused by his own party’s butchering of budgets”.

Along with the Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru have tabled a reasoned amendment which declines to give a second reading to the Bill, saying that it is in possible breach of ECHR Article 11 on the freedom of assembly and association, and appears to be incompatible with ILO (International Labour Organization) standards.

Vital

The Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP said that the devolution of employment law was vital to protect Welsh workers’ rights, and urged the Labour party to support Plaid Cymru and the SNP’s amendment.

“Nobody wants to see strikes happen, least of all the workers who lose a day’s pay,” she said.

“The strikes from nurses and ambulance workers are a last resort from over-worked staff who are worried that patient safety is suffering due to increased demand and staff shortages.

“If the UK Government had spent as much time worrying about nurses being forced to use foodbanks as they do about nurses standing on picket lines, this bullyboy legislation would not be needed.

“The Labour Party is making the right noises, but it continues to oppose the devolution of employment law. This is the only way to give Wales the power to protect workers’ rights from relentless Westminster attacks. I urge Labour to support Plaid Cymru and the SNP’s amendment today.”


Support our Nation today

For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
8 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Cathy Jones
Cathy Jones
1 year ago

“Strike together on 1 Feb, but escalate nowMomentum is growing for strikes on Wednesday 1 February. It’s an open “secret” that around 70,000 university workers plan the first of 19 walkouts in February and March on that day. At 5pm this afternoon, the NEU school workers’ union is set to announce the results of its strike ballot and could join the action. Around 100,000 civil service workers are already gearing up to walk out on 1 February, the TUC union federation day of action against anti-union laws. Activists should push union leaders to bring out everyone with a live strike ballot—and, crucially, to escalate their… Read more »

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
1 year ago

Good work and good luck, Liz…

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
1 year ago
Reply to  Mab Meirion

Next time ask him if he has ordered the water cannon yet, the use of them in India is on YouTube…

Steve A Duggan
Steve A Duggan
1 year ago

It’s great Plaid and the SNP are standing up to this atrocious UK government. However, ultimately the only way out is through independence.

Leigh Richards
Leigh Richards
1 year ago

What a contrast to labour’s leader Starmer who has uttered not one word in support of striking workers

Doctor Trousers
Doctor Trousers
1 year ago

Anyone else want to see Liz Saville Roberts as First minister of Wales? She’s an impressively eloquent woman, who knows how to take an opportunity to say things that need to be said.
I yearn for the day when Plaid and the SNP no longer need to export some of their best talent to westminster, I would say the same for Mhairi Black too.

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
1 year ago

The Tories are getting increasingly fanatical from demonising fleeing migrants with Suella Braverman using similar language once used by Hitler towards the Jews, to our nurses who since the pandemic put their lives on the line, in some cases made the ultimate sacrifice, are now threatened with the sack with the Tory anti-strike bill currently making its way through England’s parliament. And today it’s been revealed Rishy Sunak is to stop Scotland’s ‘Gender Bill’ which is a democratic outrage, And whether you agree with it or not it’s the Scottish parliament’s right to legislate not Whitehall’s to block. Similar was… Read more »

Riki
Riki
1 year ago

Simple solution Plaid! Don’t recognise Westminster and refuse to send your Representatives. That will send a clear message won’t it? But of course you won’t do that, thanks to this ridiculous notion that you can change them. It hasn’t worked, and it will never work.

Our Supporters

All information provided to Nation.Cymru will be handled sensitively and within the boundaries of the Data Protection Act 2018.