The Employment Rights Bill (January 2025)

Chapter 4

Minimum service levels

[page 34]

The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 (MSL Act) was a fundamental attack on trade unions’ right to strike. It amended TULRCA to allowed employers in six sectors, including health and transport, to require workers to attend work during a strike to provide a “minimum service level”. Once the union had notified the employer of a strike, the employer could issue a work notice to the union requiring certain named individuals to work. Separate regulations were to specify the minimum service levels required in each service and MSL regulations were issued for ambulance, rail and border security services.

Labour made it clear that they would be getting rid of the MSL Act and have used the Employment Rights Bill as the means to do it. The bill would repeal the MSL Act as soon as it is passed into law. All associated powers, provisions and regulations will disappear with it, including work notices and all references to them.


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