PCS to attend special Congress on minimum service levels legislation

In the king’s speech last month, the government promised to rush through anti-strike laws which would effectively criminalise strike action for thousands of our Home Office members in the Border Force and the Passport Office. 

As seen through the recent legislative committees on minimum service levels laws (27 November), the government is trying to railroad through the laws in parliament. If the government gets its way, it will have the power to implement them and undermine the right to strike of hundreds of thousands of workers by Christmas.  

The meeting at Congress House in London – which will be live-streamed  – will debate a TUC General Council statement based on a campaign plan and hear contributions from workers directly impacted by the government’s minimum service levels legislation (MSLs).

PCS is fully involved in efforts to resist and repeal this latest “blatant attack” on trade union rights. The law is a vindictive attempt to stop workers winning strikes following 18 months of large-scale industrial unrest. 

It stipulates that when workers lawfully vote to strike in certain sectors, including health, education, transport and border security, they could be forced to attend work – and sacked if they do not comply. Unions could also face substantial fines for any breaches. 

At its special congress, the TUC will discuss what a legal challenge could entail. PCS is also working closely with the FBU and RMT on ways forward. The special congress is also expected to set a date for a national demonstration.  

PCS has been urging the public to put pressure on their MPs into opposing these anti-strike restrictions.

Several MPs – including members of the PCS parliamentary group – have already slammed these proposed laws at a delegated legislation parliamentary committee as a political attack on the democratic right to withdraw labour, as virtually unworkable in practice, and as potential breaches of international law. 

You can watch the special Congress on a live-stream. We will provide a report of the meeting afterwards.

For more information about the special congress, see the TUC website. 

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