While committing to repealing the Minimum Service Levels legislation as soon as possible, the Government has also ordered Ministers to ignore the Act, which has failed to resolve any disputes so far. By scrapping this ineffective legislation, the Government wants to reset industrial relations in the UK, so they are based on good faith negotiation and bargaining.
 
Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary says: “Repealing this legislation is the first step of resetting the relationship between trade unions and the Government. This draconian, unworkable piece of legislation was an ideological attack on working people’s ability to defend their pay, along with other terms and conditions. Far from preventing strikes, it risked escalating disputes and ultimately harming our public services and the economy.
 
“We welcome Labour pledging to repeal this vindictive piece of legislation and look forward to working with the Government to deliver the new deal for working people which will transform the lives of millions of workers.”

Notes for editors:
 
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is one of the fastest growing unions in the TUC and the UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades www.usdaw.org.uk

For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter/X @UsdawUnion