Agenda item

Council believes that the right to strike is a fundamental British freedom and believes that the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 is just the latest direct attack on this freedom.

Council regrets the over the past 14 years the Government have continually eroded pay, and to an even greater degree when inflation hit a 41 year high of 11.1%.

Council regrets the Government’s failure to deal with the cost-of-living crisis and failure to outlaw poor employment practices, which Council believes have caused recent strike action.  Council further regrets this legislation as an attempt to shift the blame onto ordinary workers who have resorted to striking to achieve fair pay and dignity at work.

Council further believes that the regime created by the Strikes (Minimum Service Level) Act 2023 is both unworkable and unnecessary and is an attack on the freedoms of working people in Leeds.

Council resolves to request a paper to Executive Board to consider these issues further and calls on the Government to repeal anti-trade union legislation.

It was moved by Councillor Coupar, seconded by Councillor Farley that Council believes that the right to strike is a fundamental British freedom and believes that the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 is just the latest direct attack on this freedom.

Council regrets the over the past 14 years the Government have continually eroded pay, and to an even greater degree when inflation hit a 41 year high of 11.1%.

Council regrets the Government’s failure to deal with the cost-of-living crisis and failure to outlaw poor employment practices, which Council believes have caused recent strike action.  Council further regrets this legislation as an attempt to shift the blame onto ordinary workers who have resorted to striking to achieve fair pay and dignity at work.

Council further believes that the regime created by the Strikes (Minimum Service Level) Act 2023 is both unworkable and unnecessary and is an attack on the freedoms of working people in Leeds.

Council resolves to request a paper to Executive Board to consider these issues further and calls on the Government to repeal anti-trade union legislation.

An amendment was moved by Councillor Golton, seconded by Councillor Lay

Delete paragraphs two and three.

The amended motion will then read:

Council believes that the right to strike is a fundamental British freedom and believes that the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 is just the latest direct attack on this freedom.

Council further believes that the regime created by the Strikes (Minimum Service Level) Act 2023 is both unworkable and unnecessary and is an attack on the freedoms of working people in Leeds.

Council resolves to request a paper to Executive Board to consider these issues further and calls on the Government to repeal anti-trade union legislation.

A second amendment was moved by Councillor Firth, seconded by Councillor Stephenson

Delete all after “Council” and replace with:

“believes working people, parents and pensioners in Leeds should be free to go about their business, get to work, drop their children off at school or access the NHS services their taxes pay for without excessive disruption caused by striking public sector unions.

“Council therefore welcomes the introduction of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023, believing it achieves the appropriate balance between the rights of workers to withhold their labour and the rights of taxpayers to access the state-funded services and infrastructure they pay for. Council notes the UK has now joined other countries such as France, Spain, and Italy, which already have minimum service laws in place.

“Since 2010, the Conservative Government has delivered one of the best workers’ rights records in the world, with more employees on the payroll than ever before and one of the highest minimum wages in the world – more generous than those in similar economies such as France, Germany and Japan. This is in stark contrast to the inheritance of record high unemployment and reliance on state welfare left by the last Labour Government, and every post-war Labour administration.

“Council recognises the value individual shop stewards add within the workplace, representing their members in individual workplace disputes, including here at Leeds City Council where unions have live disputes against this Council as an employer.

“Council believes trade unions are best placed to fund these activities from their own members’ subscriptions, which is reasonable given trade unions declared assets of over £2.2 billion in 2021/22. There appears to be no need or justification for Leeds taxpayers’ money subsidising trade unions to the tune of £840k when these funds could be used to provide residential care for vulnerable children, addressing this council’s backlog of EHCPs, repairing the city’s roads, or keeping car parking free in local town centres.

“Council is alarmed at the cyclical nature of taxpayers’ money subsiding wealthy trade unions who hold political funds worth more than £30 million; funds used to support the election of Members of this Council’s administration.”

The amendments in the name of Councillor Golton and Councillor Firth were declared lost and upon being put to the vote it was

RESOLVED – That Council believes that the right to strike is a fundamental British freedom and believes that the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 is just the latest direct attack on this freedom.

Council regrets the over the past 14 years the Government have continually eroded pay, and to an even greater degree when inflation hit a 41 year high of 11.1%.

Council regrets the Government’s failure to deal with the cost-of-living crisis and failure to outlaw poor employment practices, which Council believes have caused recent strike action.  Council further regrets this legislation as an attempt to shift the blame onto ordinary workers who have resorted to striking to achieve fair pay and dignity at work.

Council further believes that the regime created by the Strikes (Minimum Service Level) Act 2023 is both unworkable and unnecessary and is an attack on the freedoms of working people in Leeds.

Council resolves to request a paper to Executive Board to consider these issues further and calls on the Government to repeal anti-trade union legislation.

On the requisition of Councillor Flint and Lewis the voting on the motion in the name of Councillor Coupar was recorded as follows;

YES – 68

Akhtar, Ali, Almass, Arif, Bithell, Bowden, Bromley, Brooks, Burke, Carlill, Coupar, Dowson, Dye, Edwards, Farley, Flint, France-Mir, Garvani, Gibson, Grahame, Gruen, Hamilton, Hannan, Harland, Hayden, Heselwood, Hinchcliffe, Holroyd-Case, A Hussain, Z Hussain, Iqbal, Jenkins, Jones, Khan, Lennox, Lewis, Maloney, Manaka, Marshall-Katung, Martin, McCluskey, McKenna, Millar, Parnham, Pryor, Rafique, Renshaw, Ritchie, Rontree, Scopes, Sewards, Shahzad, Sharpe, Taylor, Thomson, Wilson, Wray, Blackburn, Carlisle, Stables, Dixon, Pogson-Golden, Campbell, Chapman, Downes, Golton, Hart-Brooke, Lay.

NO – 15

Alderson, B Anderson, C Anderson, L Buckley, N Buckley, Amanda Carter, Firth, Foster, Harrington, Lamb, Robinson, D Seary, S Seary, Smith, Stephenson,

ABSTAIN - 2

Finnigan, Senior