The CSP welcomes the government’s announcement that it will repeal a draconian anti-strike law introduced last year.
The Strikes Act 2023 gave ministers sweeping powers to impose strike restrictions in any service within health, education, fire, transport, border security and nuclear decommissioning.
The CSP strongly opposed the introduction of minimum service levels as unjust, unnecessary and unworkable and worked with the TUC to counter these new restrictions.
Today the deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and business secretary Jonathan Reynolds have written to the government departments with sectors most impacted by strikes and the Welsh and Scottish governments to say that they do not support minimum service levels and intend to repeal the legislation.
Back in December 2023, the CSP vowed to campaign against new ‘draconian, anti-democratic' legislation at a special TUC Congress.
And in January of this year, CSP members and staff joined the wider trade union movement to defend our democratic rights at a rally held in Cheltenham.
Mike Mander, chair of the CSP National Group of Regional Stewards, said: 'We're pleased to see the government have made good on their promise. This has come off the back of concerted resistance from trade unions, of which the CSP played a large part.
'We look forward to this reset in industrial relations that will allow for improved partnership working between NHS staff side and employers, and ensure that these relations are based on good faith negotiation and bargaining. This is just hopefully the beginning of improving workers' rights in this country.'
Claire Sullivan, director of Employment Relations and Union Services at the CSP, said: ‘We applaud the new government for scrapping this disgraceful law that damages unions’ abilities to represent their members' best interests and poses a real threat to the rights of working people.
'Our collective campaigning, working alongside other unions, has been heard and listened to by the new government and I am hopefully that this heralds a more positive period of industrial relations.’
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