New Transport Strikes Bill Introduced

The Transport Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill was introduced in Parliament on 20 October 2022 and is expected to come into force in 2023. The government has proposed this Bill due the long and continued rails strikes to ensure services are maintained during industrial action.  If enacted, this Bill  will:

• Require employers and trade unions to agree a minimum service level during transport strikes over a three-month period.
• Remove protection against automatic unfair dismissal from any staff specified in the agreement striking during that period.
• Potentially allow employers to obtain a court order preventing the strike if specified staff did go on strike.
• Potentially make a strike unlawful if a union does not take reasonable steps to prevent specified staff striking (allowing civil proceedings against the union with potential liability of up to £1 million).

There will be a public consultation on how the legislation will work in detail, followed by regulations.