Industrial Action

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Wednesday 11th January 2023 Lords Chamber

[Lord Callanan (Con)]

There are not just minimum service level obligations in other European countries, there are outright bans on striking. For instance, there are bans on border security strikes in Germany, Spain, Italy, France and Belgium. We are not proposing to go nearly as far as those countries have in banning strikes in these areas. We are merely suggesting that unions should provide minimum services during strikes. As for consultation, the legislation was drawn up very quickly and in haste. We have not been able to do all the consultation we would like, but noble Lords will be reassured to know that for the actual implementation of the secondary regulations—which will contain most of the detail—we will of course carry out full consultations.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, I have to return to the European precedents that the Minister cited—the Prime Minister has cited them as well—starting with France. Can the Minister tell us how successful the legislation has been in France? How many fewer days of strikes were there in France last year, compared to the United Kingdom?

[Lord Callanan (Con)]

I cannot give the figures for the number of days lost in France to strike action off the top of my head. I will ask a rhetorical question: if the legislation will be so ineffective and have no effect whatever, what are the Opposition so concerned about?

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

Will the Minister write to me with those figures? I think they will be very instructive. If he writes to me and puts a copy of the letter in the Library, we can use it when we come to debate this.

[Lord Callanan (Con)]

I am here to respond on what happens in the United Kingdom, but if the figures on days lost in France are easily available, then of course I will supply them.