Meacher backs unions over ballot action

OLDHAM West and Royton MP Michael Meacher was among 43 Labour rebels trying to force the Government to ensure employers had a duty to co-operate with unions over any ballot action.

Mr Meacher voted with the group demanding a change which would mean unions were supplied with with relevant information to help them ballot and remain within the law. It would mean employers would have to give them, on request, names addresses and workplaces of the people it wanted to ballot. They say that modern work practices with more work done by outside bodies and workers moving between different workplaces makes it harder for unions to know who is in the workforce and how to contact them in the postal ballots required by the law on industrial action.

But the Government fought off the biggest backbench revolt since Gordon Brown became Prime Minister. The call by the 43 Labour MPs aimed at making it easier for unions to comply with the law on industrial action was rejected by 408 votes to 53 — a Government majority of 355.

Mr Meacher said: “It is very unfortunate the Government is not prepared to give trade unions a fair and respectful role in society.

“What we were asking for is reasonable. It may only be a very small minority but employers can be vicious and discriminatory. Industrial action is always a last resort.”