In November MPs will vote on the government’s controversial trade union bill, which threatens the basic right to strike. Bristol Trades Union Council urgently needs YOU in London, on the afternoon of Monday 2nd November, to talk to your MP face to face. This is a big opportunity to make sure our MPs hear directly from workers worried by the government’s plans to undermine the right to strike in restricting pickets, protests and other measures.

In a forward to various briefing packs about the campaign Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of the TUC, wrote that

“Trade unions play a vital role in representing millions of workers across the country and making sure they are treated fairly at work.

“Collective bargaining is at the heart of winning a better deal for workers. It works because employers and employees both have some power. Part of that balance is that workers can take industrial action.

“But the proposals in the trade union bill undermine the right to strike. They’ll mean that agency workers can be used to break strikes. They will bring in huge amounts of red tape and restrictions on picketing and protests – like having to tell your employer what you’ll post on Facebook two weeks in advance, or whether you intend to carry a banner or use a loudspeaker.”

What we’re asking you to do is

• Write to your MP
• Lobby your MP either at Parliament on the 2nd November or at their local surgery
• Petition your MP
• Contact local media and tell them why the bill is such a bad idea
• Run a stall or event to get your members involved
• Emphasise that this is also a threat to safety reps
• Above all get the message out there!

Information packs about the campaign and the bill, sample letters, petitions and other resource materials can be found here Protect the right to strike