Industrial Action Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Baroness Donaghy
Main Page: Baroness Donaghy (Labour - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Baroness Donaghy's debates with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
(1 year, 11 months ago)
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Lord Callanan (Con)
That is not the case at all. We have outlined the services that minimum service levels will be applied to, but it is right to consult widely on how the appropriate regulations will work in practice. As I have said, if voluntary MSLs are in place—as they are in some sectors at the moment—and we do not need to regulate those sectors, that is a preferable way to proceed.
Baroness Donaghy (Lab)
My Lords, I was chair of ACAS for seven years. Has ACAS been consulted about these proposals? If not, why not? I was asked by a friend who sits on a school board how, if a head teacher decided to sack all the staff in their school, any minimum service or safety level would be fulfilled. Would the Government step in to provide staff?
Lord Callanan (Con)
As I said in response to earlier questions, we do not desire or wish to sack any public sector workers in any sectors. We are in the business of increasing the number of public sector workers, not sacking them.