- MPs debated The Trade Union Bill in the House of Commons, November 10th.
- New polling shows that the public do not consider new trade union legislation a parliamentary priority - ranking it 20th out of 20 political issues.
- Both the right to strike and Workplace Balloting, to ensure fair participation in cases of industrial action have strong support.
The Trade Union Bill - Are workers currently under pressure to take industrial action?
Asked to consider their top three day-to-day workplace concerns, only 5% of full time and part-time workers polled by Survation said that "pressure to take industrial action" was one of them.
Asked to consider their top three day-to-day workplace concerns, only 5% of full time and part-time workers polled by Survation said that "pressure to take industrial action" was one of them.
The new polling on behalf of UNITE the Union showed that "work/life balance" (45%) and "level of pay" at 46% were their top workplace concerns.
Matters such as relationships with colleagues and a comfortable workplace environment were three and four times more of a concern than "pressure to take industrial action" respectively.
Worker's Right To Strike?
Among all polled (1532 members of the public), those expressing a view showed overwhelming support - 84%- for British worker’s right to take industrial action.
Secure Workplace Balloting
Further, there was clear support for the introduction of secure workplace ballots for Trade Union members when voting on potential industrial action - a solution proposed to allow for fair participation in the same way that current legislation via the Employment Relations Act allow Trade Unions to form or not in the workplace.
Current rules dictate that Trade Unions can only ballot members by physical post, 71% of the public expressing a view backed the introduction of secure workplace balloting.
Current rules dictate that Trade Unions can only ballot members by physical post, 71% of the public expressing a view backed the introduction of secure workplace balloting.
Full tables are available here.
Survation interviewed 1,532 GB adults aged 18+ online from the 27th-28th October.
