The Fire Brigades Union has today set out how devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales could play a crucial role in blocking the implementation of the government’s Minimum Service Levels Bill.
Writing to the Humza Yousaf and Mark Drakeford today, Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack called on the Scottish and Welsh governments to convene government-led summits with unions with a view to “launching a united campaign of resistance” against the legislation, “which is an authoritarian attempt to effectively outlaw strikes in many sectors”.
The full text of the letters is below.
The move follows a commitment from Scotland First Minister Humza Yousaf that the Scottish Government would “never issue or enforce a single work notice” if the Bill becomes law. Earlier this week, the UK government suffered a series of defeats in the House of Lords, which could hamper the Bill’s progress.
By bringing together a campaign of non-compliance, including by devolved administrations, “a strategy of non-cooperation and non-compliance could make it inoperable”, the FBU leader wrote.
ENDS
NOTES
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2. The full text of the letters is as follows:
Letter to Scotland First Minister Humza Yousaf
Dear Humza,
The Fire Brigades Union welcomes your pledge to the STUC congress that the Scottish Government "will never issue or enforce a single work notice" under the Minimum Service Levels Bill.
This law is an authoritarian attempt to effectively outlaw strikes in many sectors, including the Fire and Rescue Service. It is extremely welcome that the government has suffered a number of defeats on amendments in the House of Lords, although we will need to consider how they will now respond.
Defeating the Tories’ anti-workers agenda is not just about Westminster and the courts. A strategy of non-cooperation and non-compliance could make it inoperable. The Scottish government, working alongside trade unions, local government and some employers, could raise the possibility of defeating this undemocratic legislation.
As you are aware, health and education, as well as the emergency services, are fully devolved to the Scottish Parliament, and areas like rail are dependent on public sector contracts. The UK Government will use the Minimum Service Levels Bill to target workers in these sectors.
As First Minister, you can play an important role in making this law unworkable by ensuring that no work notices are issued in the public sector, or in any area dependent on public sector contracts.
It would be an unprecedented attack on devolution for UK ministers to impose work notices in any disputes in these policy areas in Scotland, which have been held by the Scottish Parliament since its inception in 1999.
As General Secretary of the FBU, I would be delighted to meet you to discuss how our union, and others can work with the Scottish Government to resist any such attacks.
A Scottish Government-led summit, involving the STUC and representatives of its affiliated unions could be an important first step in launching a united campaign of resistance against the legislation.
The launch of such a forum would also allow unions and your Government to formulate a specific framework for how anti-union laws can be resisted in Scotland.
Yours Sincerely,
Matt Wrack
FBU general secretary
Letter to Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford
Dear Mark,
As a Labour-affiliated union, the Fire Brigades Union looks to your government as a bulwark to defend our members' rights in Wales against the Tories’ anti-worker agenda.
The Minimum Service Levels Bill is an authoritarian attempt to effectively outlaw strikes in many sectors, including the Fire and Rescue Service. It is extremely welcome that the government has suffered a number of defeats on amendments in the House of Lords, although we will need to consider how they will now respond.
It is positive that the Senedd has already expressed its opposition to the legislation by withholding legislative consent.
As you will be aware, Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf has pledged that the Scottish Government "will never issue or enforce a single work notice" under the new laws.
The FBU is seeking an equivalent commitment from the devolved administration you lead in Cardiff. I am therefore asking you to confirm that the Welsh Government will not issue a work notice in any area devolved to it.
Defeating the Tories’ anti-workers agenda is not just about Westminster and the courts. A strategy of non-cooperation and non-compliance could make it inoperable. The Welsh Government, working alongside trade unions, local government and some employers, could raise the possibility of defeating this undemocratic legislation.
The policy areas of health and education, as well as most powers over the emergency services are of course devolved to the Senedd. The UK Government has made it clear that it is targeting workers in these key sectors with this pernicious legislation.
The Welsh Government's active resistance to this assault on the democratic rights of working people could be decisive in making the legislation inoperable. It would be an unprecedented attack on devolution for UK ministers to impose work notices in any disputes in devolved areas.
As General Secretary of the FBU, I would be delighted to meet you. A Welsh Government led summit, involving the Wales TUC and representatives of its affiliated unions could be an important first step in launching a united campaign of resistance against the legislation.
The launch of such a forum would also allow unions and your government to formulate a specific framework for how the bill can be resisted in Wales.
Yours sincerely,
Matt Wrack,
FBU general secretary
