With Rishi Sunak’s Tory government promising new restrictions on the right to strike, it is more urgent than ever that the entire labour movement unites to resist anti-union laws.
Free Our Unions was initiated by The Clarion magazine and Lambeth Unison. It is now backed by dozens of unions branches, committees, and local Labour Parties. Five national trade unions – IWGB, FBU, RMT, PCS, and IWW – have supported the campaign via their Annual General Meetings and/or National Executive Committees or equivalents. It was initially established to promote and amplify policies passed at Labour Party conferences calling for the abolition of all anti-union laws, not only the most recent, and to demand Labour fight for this policy in opposition and commit to enacting it in government. (For more background to the campaign, click here.)
Free Our Unions now plans renewed campaigning against the Tories’ proposed new laws, and is calling for united and coordinated activity between existing campaign groups currently active on these issues.
Court win on right to strike
The UK Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday 17 April that UK law allowing employers to discipline (but not sack) workers for striking is in conflict with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
Leeds Council opposes anti-strike laws
Leeds City Council has passed a resolution opposing the government’s “Minimum Service Levels” Act.
Write to your councillor to demand “no work notices”
The Campaign for Trade Union Freedom, Strike Map, and a number of other organisations have partnered to launch a new initiative encouraging activists to write to their local councillors to demand councils commit no to issuing work notices.
Largest Academy Trust rules out “work notices”: make others do the same!
Schools Week has announced that United Learning (UL), the largest Academy Trust in England, operating 89 schools and employing 7,000 staff, has stated it will not use the Minimum Service Law (MSL) to issue “work notices” instructing staff to strike-break.
After Cheltenham demo: keep up campaigning, build for open defiance
Thousands of trade unionists marched in Cheltenham today (27 January), to mark the 40th anniversary of the Thatcher government’s ban on unions at Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), and protest contemporary anti-strike laws, including the new Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act.
Online meeting – Thursday 15 February, 7pm: The fight for the right to strike, with Matt Wrack (FBU)
After the TUC Special Congress of 9 December, and the demonstration in Cheltenham on 27 January, what are the next steps in the fight against anti-strike laws – not only the most recent, but all existing restrictions on our right to strike?
How do we beat the Minimum Service Levels Act? Online meeting, 7pm, 1 February
The Troublemakers At Work network, founded at a conference in July co-hosted by Strike Map, NHS Workers Say No, and various other left and labour movement bodies, is hosting an online meeting at 7pm on 1 February to discuss building resistance to the Minimum Service Levels Act.
23 January: Lewisham unions meet to plan campaigning against anti-strike laws
Several unions in the borough of Lewisham, south London, have called a joint campaign meeting on 23 January to plan activity opposing the Tories’ new anti-strike laws.
After TUC special congress: defiance needs action, not just words
Perhaps the most significant sentence in the resolution passed by the TUC special congress, held on 9 December to discuss the Tories’ latest anti-strike laws, is a commitment that unions will “refuse to tell [their] members to cross a picket line.”
Sheffield City Council opposes MSL law
its 6 December, Sheffield City Council passed a resolution opposing the Tories’ new Minimum Service Levels Act.
We need to get serious about what “non-compliance” means
This is a discussion article written by a Free Our Unions supporter. To respond, please email freeourunions@gmail.com.
Lobby the TUC special congress, 9 December
The National Shop Stewards Network has called a lobby outside the TUC special congress, 9-10am, Saturday 9 December, at Congress House (Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS).
TUC calls special congress for 9 December
The Trades Union Congress has called a special congress for 9 December.
Tories announce minimum service levels: prepare defiance!
The government has now set the minimum service levels in three of the sectors covered by the new Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act.
Nottingham East CLP calls on Labour councils “not to cooperate” with anti-strike legislation
Nottinghamshire, Mansfield, and Nottingham Trades Union Council has passed a resolution calling on Labour councils “not to cooperate” with new anti-strike legisation.
Free Our Unions 