Grant Shapps unveiled the new laws focusing on minimum service plans (Picture: Mark Thomas/Shutterstock)
Unions have been hit with a ‘life and limb’ bill to keep vital services running – as the government vows to end ‘forever strikes’.
New laws unveiled by business secretary Grant Shapps will mean ambulance, fire and rail staff could be sacked unless some stay at work under minimum service plans.
A day before another ambulance strike, he said he was duty bound to protect lives and livelihoods and stop walk-outs paralysing the public sector.
‘Common sense tells us we need minimum safety levels,’ he told MPs. ‘The ambulance strike tomorrow still does not have minimum safety levels in place – and this cannot continue. We’re focusing on blue light emergency services and delivering on our manifesto commitment to secure minimum service on the railways.’
Labour labelled the law a ‘sacking nurses bill’ and unions denounced it as an ‘attack on Britain’s Covid heroes’.
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: ‘Conservative ministers have gone from clapping key workers to sacking key workers.’
Labour deputy leader Angela Raynor said 82 per cent of striking paramedics are leaving picket lines in emergencies (Picture: Getty)
Ambulance unions insisted that local agreements guaranteed patient safety and London Ambulance Service said more than half its staff will work today.
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said 82 per cent of striking paramedics are leaving picket lines in emergencies.
Mr Shapps did not reveal a minimum level but admitted teachers, medics, border staff and nuclear workers may also be included. And he said he was ready for any court challenge.
Ambulances are set to go on strike today, although half the service’s staff are set to work (Picture: Reuters)
‘Every other European country has some form of minimum safety in place,’ he told Times Radio. ‘We’re doing the same. Life and limb must come first.’
Paramedics in England strike today and on January 23. Teachers ballot this week and nurses walk out again on January 18 and 19. Rail unions – striking since June – yesterday had talks at the TUC with public sector unions over co-ordinating action.
More: Strikes
‘Everyone knows we want to bring these strikes to a close, which in some cases – railways for example – seem to have turned into sort of forever strikes,’ Mr Shapps said.
‘The government is bending over backwards to do that.’
Downing Street defends PM’s use of plane to travel to Leeds
The prime minister boards the RAF plane which took him to Leeds (Picture: No10 Downing Street)
Downing Street defended Rishi Sunak flying to Leeds as ‘the most effective use of his time’, insisting his schedule is under ‘pressure’.
Publicly funded No.10 snaps show the PM boarding an RAF plane to visit a healthcare centre.
It is not clear where he got on, but a train from London to Leeds takes two-and-a-half hours. The UK has pledged net zero emissions by 2050.
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A day before ambulances are set to go on another strike.
