The new UK government announced Tuesday its plan to invalidate the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023, which the previous parliament passed to sustain a minimum level of work in critical public sectors during strikes. Instead, it will pass new legislation called the Employment Rights Bill within 100 days of the new government’s formation.

The old act enumerated six sectors where the secretary of state may require minimum service requirements: health services, fire and rescue services, education services, transport services, decommissioning of nuclear installations and management of radioactive waste and spent fuel, and border security. If a minimum service requirement is made, employers in these public sectors are permitted to call their employees to work even while a strike is ongoing. In such a situation, the union cannot ignore the notice submitted by the employers. If they do, the strike will lose legal protections as indicated in Article 234E of the act.

Currently, labourers in public sectors are continuing to negotiate with employers for increased wages. Junior doctors struck for five days last year. These healthcare workers in the National Health Service have carried out some strikes not only for higher wages but also for patient safety.

With regard to the need for a fair opportunity for public sector workers to settle issues, the new government firmly established its policy to protect labourers’ rights to negotiate with their managers. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said, “[a]ttempting to clamp down on the fundamental freedom of working people has got us nowhere and this was targeted at sectors who dedicate their lives to serving us all.”

In accordance with the submission given by the Deputy Prime Minister and Business Secretary, the government departments and regional mayors would grapple with the coming change of the rules.