UK Parliament / Open data

Trade Union Bill

Proceeding contribution from Boris Johnson (Conservative) in the House of Commons on Monday, 14 September 2015. It occurred during Debate on bills on Trade Union Bill.

If the hon. Gentleman will forgive me, I will not give way.

Some kind of disruptive industrial action, bad enough to wreck one’s day, can take place on the basis of a tiny number of the workforce. To take a by no means untypical example, a strike was recently mooted upon the dismissal of an employee who had consistently failed to turn up for work, and a ballot was held by the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers. Fifty-four people were balloted. Of those, only 14 could be bothered to vote. Five voted for a strike and nine for action short of a strike. Yet, as a result of the vote—26% of the relevant electorate—people’s lives were disrupted during that day. People did not turn up to work. The London economy suffered. There was disruption.

About this proceeding contribution

Reference

599 c860 

Session

2015-16

Chamber / Committee

House of Commons chamber
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