Plans for 'minimum service' strike rules divide East MPs and unions
The legislation will be debated in Parliament this afternoon
Government plans to ensure public services provide 'minimum service levels' during strike action has divided MPs and unions in the East.
The legislation will be debated in Parliament this afternoon, following recent industrial action across the NHS and our rail-network.
"All of this is giving people a lot of anxiety"
Jerome Mayhew is the MP for Broadland:
"France and Spain already have minimum service agreements. Other countries that we often relate ourselves to such as Canada and Australia they have banned blue light strikes. We're not going that far. I personally think that people should be able to withdraw their labour, if they disagree with their terms and conditions, but we have to have a balance."
Chloe Smith is the MP for Norwich North:
"What we have seen in Norfolk is a range of strikes.
"Regrettably, the nurses at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital will be striking in mid-January and obviously there have been train strikes which have on-going impacts on other trades around Norwich station.
"These are in addition to postal and civil-service strikes. All of this is giving people a lot of anxiety."
"Another attack on the fundamental rights of the worker"
Scott Lyons works for National Education Union in the region:
"It's just another attack on the fundamental rights of the worker. It's essential that workers under their democratic rights and under the UN convention of rights, have the ability to strike, not just over pay, but over health and safety, over section 44, where you aren't able to go on a site".
"We haven't looked after the workforce here for quite a while. This has all come about primarily because of the Government's inadequacy of managing the country which means we have got rising inflation where some people can no longer afford to live."
Where do both sides stand on this?
Unions say they'll challenge the laws in the courts.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says it's "right, responsible and reasonable" to make sure that the public can still rely on a basic level of emergency service.