British unions pledge to confront the minimum service law Al Khaleej newspaper

London – (AFP)

British unions pledged, on Saturday, to oppose a law that came into effect, stipulating a minimum level of service in several vital sectors, in the event of a strike.

The British Trade Union Congress, the Trade Union Congress, organized an emergency conference that brought together dozens of union organizations in the United Kingdom, in which union leaders expressed their determination to fight the “malicious, useless, and inapplicable” law.

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “I say to this Conservative government: If you don’t want to strike, you know what to do. “Pay us well, treat us well, and invest in our public services.”

The British government, headed by Rishi Sunak, announced on Friday that the implementation of the minimum service level had entered into force in the railway, border police and ambulance services sectors.

The minimum service level was approved in July, and unions denounced it as an attack on the right to strike, at a time when the country has witnessed numerous social movements for more than a year in the health, transportation, and even education sectors, with the aim of increasing salaries and improving working conditions.

Sunak said: “We are making the right decision for the long term… in line with other countries, to ensure the safety of residents, and to continue providing vital public services that hard-working people need.”

Paul Nowak stressed on Saturday that “the labor movement will use all necessary means to overcome and repeal these malicious laws.”

He pointed out that the companies that will use the law against their striking employees will have their names announced and will be denounced. He also stressed resorting to “new and effective forms of joint action.”

The labor opposition promised to reconsider the law if it wins the next legislative elections expected by January 2025 and comes to power.