Teacher Strikes. Image © Loredana Sangiuliano/Shutterstock
The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 was brought in by the Conservative government to make various sectors provide a minimum level of service when they took industrial action.
Ministers said the measures did not resolve a single strike and only served to inflame tensions, with widespread industrial action in the NHS alone costing £1.7bn last year.
The Employment Rights Bill, which will be introduced within the first 100 days of the new government, will repeal the minimum service levels.
Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and business secretary Jonathan Reynolds have written to the Home Office and the Education, Health, Transport and Energy departments – which have been most impacted by strikes – as well as the Welsh and Scottish governments to confirm the government does not support minimum service levels and intends to repeal the legislation.
They have also written to all 12 metro mayors about the upcoming change.
Rayner said: “Attempting to clamp down on the fundamental freedom of working people has got us nowhere and this was targeted at sectors who dedicate their lives to serving us all.
“That’s why we’re scrapping this pointless law and creating a new partnership between business, trade unions and working people through our New Deal.
“Repealing this legislation is the first part of our plan to reset industrial relations so they are fit for a modern economy.”
Reynolds said: “We need to get Britain’s economy moving again, deliver growth and the public services which taxpayers deserve.
“The Strikes Act has not worked – unbelievably the UK has lost more days due to strike action than France, costing the taxpayer billions of pounds, and these divisive laws haven’t resolved a single strike since they were introduced.
“By removing minimum service levels, we will reset industrial relations, so they are based on good faith negotiation and bargaining, ending the chaos and restoring trust in public services. This is about restoring politics as public service, ensuring government acts to fix problems not cause them.”
Health and social care secretary, Wes Streeting, said: “This Act failed to resolve devastating strikes which led to cancelled operations and cost the NHS billions.
“But this government engaged meaningfully with the BMA Junior Doctors’ Committee from day one, and agreed an offer in just over three weeks – paving the way to end strikes.
“Scrapping minimum service levels marks another significant step in resetting relationships with staff, as we fix the broken health service.”
The Home Office is also writing to the four Border Force trade unions to confirm the government’s intention to repeal minimum service level legislation.
