We would like to invite you to our upcoming CREW Seminar: The Government’s New Anti-Strike Legislation, to be held on Wednesday 29th May 2024 14:00 – 16:00, in Hamilton House HH103, 15 Park Vista, Greenwich, London SE10 9LZ .
Please note, there are limited spaces available. To register for this event, please click here.
In the 1980s and 1990s Conservative Governments contemplated, but in the end avoided, direct legal interventions to curtail strikes by workers in essential public services. But 2022/23, in the face of a huge wave of strikes in the public services, the Government passed the Strikes (minimum service levels) Act 2023 which gives Ministers and employers powers to restrict industrial action by imposing minimum service levels.
The legislation is particularly aimed at employees in the NHS, despite the fact that the doctors’ union, the BMA, operates a system of cover during strike days, as does the Royal College of Nurses and Unison.
The speakers will examine the detail of the legal changes and the reasons behind the legislation. There will also be discussion of the trade union response to the new law.
The Speakers:
Dr Ioannis Katsaroumpas, University of Sussex I.Katsaroumpas@sussex.ac.uk
Dr Ioannis Katasroumpas is a Lecturer in Employment Law in the Department of Law at the University of Sussex. His most recent research focuses on UK and Greek collective labour law and international labour law. Dr Katsaroumpas has been the author (or co-author) of reports of the European Parliament, International Labour Organisation and the European Trade Union Institute. He is an executive committee member of the Hellenic Observatory of Institutions, Culture and Development of the University of Athens and co-ordinator of the Committee of Labour and Social Rights. Dr Katsaroumpas holds an LL.B (First Class) from University of Athens , M.Jur, M. Phil in Law (Distinction) and D. Phil in law from University of Oxford. His article on the Act can be found here.
Hannah Reed, Unite the Union
Hannah Reed is Co-ordinator of Constitutional Affairs at Unite the union. She was formerly Senior Employment Rights Officer in the TUC’s Economic and Social Affairs Department. She was responsible for trade union and employment law, including collective and individual employment rights. Hannah used to represent the TUC on the Employment Tribunal User Group and previously was a Member of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority Board. She is also an Executive Committee Member of the Industrial Law Society.