THE Trade Union Bill, which had its second reading in the House of Commons on Monday, is a vicious piece of legislation that is designed to undermine unions’ ability to represent members in the workplace. It aims to make it harder for workers to take industrial action and, when strikes do occur, to give employers a whole number of new ways to break strikes and intimidate workers, writes Dave Moxham, of the Scottish Trades Union Congress.

The Tories claim their purpose is to deal with Britain’s “strike problem”, but ignores the fact that both historically and compared to other European nations, strikes in Scotland and the UK are very low.

It is common to hear trade unions say that strikes are a last resort. This is true, but it is also the case that strikes can be necessary and that without the possibility of strike action, workers are in a very weak position. In non-unionised sectors workers’ wages have been forced down and zero-hours contracts are becoming the norm.

This matters deeply. International evidence clearly demonstrates that in countries where strong unions exist the whole of society tends to be more equal.

The introduction of ballot thresholds for strikes will remind many of the 1979 Devolution Referendum. In that referendum, as with these current proposals, all those abstaining by not voting were effectively counted as No votes. We had to wait another two decades to gain our Parliament.

The Government wants to break with a 40-year old convention that bans the use of agency workers to break strikes. We could see untrained workers, possibly at threat of being sanctioned by the Department of Works and Pensions, being bussed in to deliver key public services. It is a recipe for poor, possibly dangerous service provision and for enormous workplace conflict.

Unions will be forced to provide details of any proposed industrial activity in advance including whether we intend to use loudhailers or props. Our use of social media will be vetted. We will be forced to name pickets, who will have to wear identifying armbands – a recipe for employer retribution and blacklisting.

Westminster wants the power to force the Scottish Government, health boards and councils to reduce the amount of time they allow for union reps to represent members and to ban the use of payroll deductions for union dues.

This is a direct attack on Scottish democracy. The principle of devolution is that once resource is transferred through the block grant or when revenue is raised in Scotland, it is a matter for us, not for them, as to how it is spent.

That is why some Scottish council leaders have already refused to comply with the Bill and why we hope that the Scottish Government will follow. Unions are far from perfect, but we have survived a barrage of Government and right wing media attacks over the past 50 years. As the demonstration on 20 June of this year demonstrated, we are capable of uniting with social movements, anti-poverty campaigners and equality groups to provide a strong civil society opposition to austerity.

The Tories fear this mightily.

Unions protect individuals in the workplace but, as the STUC motto “an injury to one is an injury to all” shows, we are campaigning organisations too. Not just to ensure better protections for our members, but also because we cannot be silent in the midst of the refugee crisis, or when we witness attacks on the unemployed and those with disabilities and while young people face such outrageous discrimination in housing, employment or through the social security system.

The best response to these current Tory attacks is to join a union; and be more active if already a member. We must forge new and stronger bonds between unions and social movements and to stand together to defend Scottish democracy.

Human rights chief blasts Trade Union Bill in TUC speech

Wee Ginger Dug: Protecting your rights at work? How dare you. . .