striking workers power by forcing them to deliver a minimum level of service in key public services during industrial action. there has to be a minimum safety level that people can expect even on strike days, particularly in areas like health care, making sure that an ambulance can turn up, for example. that s very patchwork at the moment. other modern european economies all have minimum safety levels. under the new law, which the government plans to bring to parliament in the next few weeks, unions could be sued if they do not provide minimum levels of service of fire, ambulance and rail services. voluntary agreements would cover other sectors, including health, education, other transport services, border security and nuclear decommissioning. the labour leader, sir keir starmer, says he would repeal any such law. trade unions have called the proposals an assault
organisation, the un body that the unions themselves sign up to all say that there is nothing wrong with having minimum safety levels. when it s a question of life and death, and ifor example it s a question of life and death, and i for example you it s a question of life and death, and ifor example you have it s a question of life and death, and i for example you have got somebody who has a heart attack, may be a stroke, the idea that there may not be an ambulance coming because there is a strike and i think is unacceptable. there will be discussion around what this will mean for different sectors, they will consult on that minimum service level when it comes to health, sorry, when it comes to fire, ambulance and rail. they hope to reach voluntary agreements with the unions and the other sectors that would be covered by this bill, which they aim to introduce in the coming weeks. it s worth saying that labour have described these proposals as unworkable. kier starmer today saying that
to make some sectors keep a minimum level of service going when they strike in future. we re saying, look, there has to be a minimum safety level that people can expect, even on strike days, particularly in areas like health care, making sure that an ambulance can turn up, for example. that s very patchwork at the moment. other modern european economies all have minimum safety levels, and we ve announced that we ll be introducing those. in birmingham today, the impact of current strikes by the train drivers union was obvious, with stations closed and tracks empty as workers took to the picket lines. this is one sector that would be affected by the new laws, which would require compulsory basic service levels in any future strikes in the fire service, ambulance services and on the railways. in other areas, the government wants to reach voluntary agreements on basic service levels with the unions. that would apply to wider health services, education, nuclear decommissioning, wider trans
and other, modern european economies all have minimum safety levels and we have announced we will be introducing those in legislation, in law today as well. aha, introducing those in legislation, in law today as well. introducing those in legislation, in law today as well. a number of trade unions have law today as well. a number of trade unions have said law today as well. a number of trade unions have said that law today as well. a number of trade unions have said that this unions have said that this will affect their member human rights. what you say to that? i affect their member human rights. what you say to that? what you say to that? i don t think that s right- what you say to that? i don t think that s right. civilised what you say to that? i don t think that s right. civilised european - that s right. civilised european nations, france, germany, italy, spain, they all have some form of minimum safety levels and the international labour organisation, un body that
in the past hour, the business secretary, grant shapps, has outlined the government s plans to introduce new laws to limit strike action in some sectors. here s what he had to say. we are opening our books so the pay review bodies that make the recommendations, this will be transparent, unions will see it, and we would like them to call of the strikes in the meantime, but there has to be a minimum safety level that people can expect even on strike days, especially in areas like health care, making sure the ambulance can turn up, for example, thatis ambulance can turn up, for example, that is very patchwork at the moment, and other modern european economies all have minimum safety levels we have announced we will introduce those in legislation, in law, today, as well. aha, introduce those in legislation, in law, today, as well. introduce those in legislation, in law, today, as well. a number of trade unions law, today, as well. a number of trade unions have law, today, as well. a n