Jeff Smith MP has welcomed the government’s plan to end the draconian restriction on working people’s right to strike, and to get public services back on track.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Business Secretary have confirmed that the Government will repeal the Minimum Service Levels Act in the upcoming Employment Rights Bill.

In the meantime, they have also written to Secretaries of State, Mayors and the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales asking them to strongly encourage employers to not use minimum service levels laws.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “We need to get Britain’s economy moving again, deliver growth and the public services which taxpayers deserve.

The Strikes Act has not worked – unbelievably the UK has lost more days due to strike action than France, costing the taxpayer billions of pounds, and these divisive laws haven’t resolved a single strike since they were introduced. By removing minimum service levels, we will reset industrial relations, so they are based on good faith negotiation and bargaining, ending the chaos and restoring trust in public services.

This is about restoring politics as public service ensuring government acts to fix problems not cause them.”

Jeff Smith MP says: “I voted against the Act when it was introduced by the last Conservative government. It was unnecessary, unworkable, and attacked the rights of working people.

The law did nothing to help resolve the worst strikes crisis seen in decade under the Tories.

We need to work with, not against, trade unions – I am proud to have stood on a manifesto that sees the collective rights of workers as a vital part economic growth.”