Welsh Government to overturn public sector strike law

The Welsh Government says it will ask the Assembly to overturn a law on strikes by public sector workers that was passed at Westminster last year. The UK Government's Trade Union Act includes workers employed by organisations that answer to ministers in Cardiff Bay. The Assembly refused to consent to the legislation but it was passed anyway.

The main restriction which the Welsh Government wants to abolish is that a strike must be backed by at least 40% of the union members involved. This is on top of the ballot requirements for all strikes in both the public and private sectors. Other measures to stop union subscriptions being deducted from salaries and restricting time spent on union business would also be overturned.

The Welsh Government expects its Trade Union (Wales) Bill to make "rapid progress" through the Senedd and be law later this year. It's still possible that the UK Government will have already implemented its new powers so there may be a few months when the restrictions apply in Wales. Ministers in London could also challenge the legality of the Welsh legislation in the Supreme Court but precedent suggests that they would lose.

The chances of the UK Government winning in the Supreme Court would be greater under the Wales Bill that's currently going through Parliament. Opposition peers tried to protect the Assembly's powers in this area but narrowly failed in the House of Lords last week. But the powers won't change until next year, too late to stop the AMs passing the Welsh Government's proposals. Westminster would have to pass another law if it's determined to re-impose the restrictions on Welsh public sector workers.