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Unions have “no choice” but to launch mass campaign of non-compliance against Minimum Service Levels Bill, says Fire Brigades Union leader in letter to other unions
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Trade union conference planned for autumn to discuss campaign to defy new laws
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Move comes as momentum builds for national demonstration
The government’s latest anti-union laws could be met with a mass campaign of non-compliance after they become law.
The Minimum Service Levels Bill would give employers and the government the power to compel workers in some sectors to work on strike days despite having a democratic mandate for industrial action.
In a letter to fellow trade union leaders today, Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack said that the legislation was “one of the worst assaults on the rights of working people in Postwar Britain”, adding that "we have no choice but to build mass opposition to it, including developing a strategy of non-compliance and non-cooperation to make it unworkable."
He wrote: “This campaign cannot be won by any union acting alone. We must act together to build a movement to defy and defeat this law.”
The Fire Brigades Union is now calling for a conference in the autumn to discuss the strategy and practicalities of such a campaign – putting the plan into action.
Momentum is also now building behind a national demonstration against the new laws, initiated by the RMT at its conference last week.
In his letter to fellow trade union general secretaries, Wrack argued that “with a national demonstration and a mass movement of non-compliance, we can build an alliance that can defeat this law in the streets and in the workplace.”
NOTES
1. For more information please email [email protected] or ring 07561896809 or 07964791663
2. The text of Matt Wrack’s letter to general secretaries is below
3. The RMT’s call for a national demonstration can be found here: https://www.ier.org.uk/news/rmt-to-take-to-streets-in-national-protest-against-strikes-bill/
Letter from Matt Wrack to other General Secretaries
Dear General Secretary,
Despite our efforts, the Minimum Service Levels Bill is now in its final stages of parliamentary approval. Our movement must prepare for the realities of the bill becoming law.
This is one of the worst assaults on the rights of working people in Postwar Britain, enacted by a government of the rich, for the rich. We have no choice but to build mass opposition to it, including developing a strategy of non-compliance and non-cooperation to make it unworkable.
Already, the First Minister in Scotland has stated that the Scottish government will not issue a single work notice under the legislation. This is a sign of what could be achieved if we build mass opposition. We must pile pressure on all employers, devolved administrations, local authorities and other employers to do the same.
The FBU Conference this year set out its opposition to this and other anti-union laws and required us to work with others to convene a trade union conference to build such opposition. We plan to bring this conference together in the autumn.
This campaign cannot be won by any union acting alone. We must act together to build a movement to defy and defeat this law.
The RMT has now called for a national demonstration no later than the end of October, and we are pleased to support this initiative. I am writing to you to ask for your support to build a conference of trade unionists to organise resistance to this legislation.
We want to work with your union and others to build such a conference in the autumn, bringing together trade union activists and branches with a view to building a campaign of resistance.
With a national demonstration and a mass movement of non-compliance, we can build an alliance that can defeat this law in the streets and in the workplace.
We look forward to your response and hope you could designate someone to follow up this letter with more detailed discussion and planning.
In solidarity
Matt Wrack
General secretary
Fire Brigades Union
