David Cameron mulls laws to curb strikes

Published on Wednesday 12 January 2011 17:06

THE government is to consider introducing legislation that would make it more difficult for employees to go on strike, David Cameron told MPs yesterday.

Amid threats of strike action aimed at opposing the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition's public sector cuts, Mr Cameron said during Prime Minister's Questions that he would consider calls for a new law which means that more than 50 per cent of those entitled to vote need to support industrial action before it can go ahead.

The Prime Minister was responding to a question from Tory MP Richard Ottoway, and he told MPs that he had also been lobbied on the issue by London mayor Boris Johnson. This came after the RMT union had threatened to bring the Tube to a halt in London on 29 April, the day of the wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Mr Cameron said: "I am very happy to look at the arguments for it because I want to ensure we have a fair body of union law in this country."

But he added: "I think the laws put in place in the 1980s are working well.

"We don't currently have proposals to amend them… but I am very happy to look at this argument because I don't want to see a wave of irresponsible strikes, not least where they are not supported by the majority taking part."