Rishi Sunak's tough new laws to stop strike disruption could include NHS workers
Ambulance workers and paramedics could be banned from striking after Rishi Sunak pledged “tough” new laws to tackle a wave of public sector strikes.
A Whitehall source said ministers were looking at “all the options”, and that a ban on emergency NHS workers from taking industrial action is among the most “extreme” of these.
More likely is the legal imposition of a minimum level of service that the NHS and other public services must provide during strikes.
Another idea is a ban on coordinated strikes between public sector unions.
The Prime Minister told MPs on Wednesday that his new laws will crack down on public sector unions unless their bosses back down over their “unreasonable” pay demands.
He told the House of Commons that unless the unions give ground it will be his "duty to take action to protect the lives and livelihoods of the British public".
'It's my duty to protect the lives of the British public'
His announcement came a day after ambulance workers announced strike action on 21 December.
Speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Sunak said: "Hard working families right now in this country are facing challenges. The government has been reasonable.
“It has accepted the recommendations of a pay review body, giving pay rises in many cases higher than the private sector.
"But if the union leaders continue to be unreasonable then it is my duty to take action to protect the lives and livelihoods of the British public and that is why since I became Prime Minister I have been working for new tough laws to protect people from this disruption."
The Government has already tabled the Transport Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill which would require minimum service levels on transport networks during industrial action to reduce disruption. The transport-specific pledge was made in the 2019 Tory manifesto.
Minimum service level legislation could be extended
But Mr Sunak's comments suggest he is planning to go further if the unions do not back down. There have been calls for the minimum service level legislation to be applied more widely to the public sector and not just to transport networks.
It opens the possibility that it could be extended to the NHS, fire brigades and the Border Force.
Later the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said the Government was “considering all ways” to do this and would not put a timescale on when the new laws would be in place - although he said it would be unlikely to come in time to prevent strikes over the Christmas period.
The spokesman would not rule out the possibility that the new laws could involve a ban on emergency services such as ambulance drivers and firefighters from being able to strike at all, just like police officers.
Meanwhile a Whitehall source told The Telegraph: “There are a range of options on the table, including an outright ban, although that would be at the extreme.”
Ministers would also have to decide what counts as an emergency worker, such as whether A&E nurses should be included.
The police are unable to strike but, in return, they have an independent pay-setting system which reflects that they no longer have this right.
At present, in the NHS, the Government and the unions come to an agreement over minimum service levels during strikes.
The new laws would mean these minimum levels would be legally enforceable. It is still to be decided where the minimum levels could be set.
