ANTI-STRIKE laws were secretly watered down by David Cameron to get major trade unions to campaign against Brexit, Trending In The News can reveal.
The ex-PM abandoned planned legislation to allow agency workers to break strikes after seeking assurances that the big unions would “campaign actively” for the UK to Remain in the EU at the 2016 referendum.
Ex-PM David Cameron secretly watered down anti-strike laws to get major unions to campaign against Brexit
Now Rishi Sunak is scrambling to bring an end to the festive strike chaos blighting Britain – including possibly reviving the law change to allow agency staff to fill staffing gaps.
But it will come too late for dozens of planned walk outs this month.
The two largest unions Unite and Unison both backed Remain in 2016, with the TUC’s Frances O’Grady playing a central role in the campaign including at the TV debates.
Bombshell leaked document reveal No10 was ready to remove restrictions on “temporary/agency workers being hired during periods of industrial action” but ditched the strikes clampdown “because of a deal between to Cameron government and a number of trade unions, to persuade them to campaign actively for Remain in the EU referendum.”
Tory MP Greg Smith branded the secret deal “deeply troubling”.
The Buckingham MP hit out: “Militant unions are holding the country to ransom this Christmas, at a time when traders need the support at a time the economy is fragile and patients need to access treatment when Covid backlogs remain long.
“It is outrageous that the unions persist on their course to crash Britain.
“But it is equally disappointing to understand union reforms were watered down in the past in order to secure support for the EU.”
He added: “We need legislative action against militant unions and need it now.”
Downing Street said all options were on the table for tackling strikes, but Labour blasted plans for any new laws making industrial action harder.
Speaking in Leeds, Sir Keir Starmer said: “I don’t think more legislation restricting the right to strike is the right way forward.”
