LONDON (Reuters) – A group of British trade unions has been given the go-ahead by London’s High Court to bring a legal challenge against the government over regulations allowing companies to hire agency staff to fill in for striking workers, the Trade Unions Congress (TUC) said on Wednesday.
Eleven trade unions across a range of industries and representing millions of workers say the rules could worsen industrial disputes and undermine the right to strike.
The British government this year changed rules to make it easier for businesses to use temporary staff to minimise the impact of strike action as workers across the rail network and other industries walked out in disputes over pay.
The TUC, which is coordinating the legal action, said a full hearing will be held next year, alongside separate legal cases by two other unions which have also been given permission to challenge the regulations.
The unions argue that then-business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng failed to consult unions about the rules, which they also say violate trade union rights.
“Ministers are shamelessly falling over themselves to find new ways to make it harder for working people to bargain for better pay and conditions,” TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said in a statement.
“These attacks on the right to strike are likely illegal. Ministers failed to consult with unions, as the law requires. And restricting the freedom to strike is a breach of international law.”
Britain’s business department has previously defended the plans and said it was confident they met domestic and international legal obligations. The department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(Reporting by Sam Tobin; editing by David Evans)
