21 February 2023 , 16:42
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An official watchdog has slammed the Tory Government’s assessment of draconian anti-strike legislation as “not fit for purpose”.
Described by Labour as a “damning judgement”, the experts also branded ministers’ cost-benefit analysis of the policy as “weak”.
The controversial new law making its way through Parliament seeks to ban some public sector workers from joining walkouts on strike days.
It comes amid a wave of industrial action among desperate NHS staff, teachers, railway workers, and civil servants in dozens of Government departments.
But a group of independent experts said a Government impact assessment was “not fit for purpose” in a document published today.
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The 10-page report by the Regulatory Policy Committee found some sources for the cost-benefit analysis were “almost a decade old”.
It also suggested there were a “number of assumptions made” without giving “appropriate evidence and analysis”.
TUC chief Paul Nowak said ministers had been given the 'red card' on the legislation (PA)The Regulatory Policy Committee slapped a rare “red” rating on the government’s impact assessment.
Union leaders have previously warned the proposed law would mean that when workers democratically voted to strike, they could be forced to work and face being sacked if they did not comply.
The General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress Paul Nowak said: “Ministers are trying to keep parliamentarians and the public in the dark about this draconian legislation – which is a direct attack on our fundamental right to strike.
“It is telling that the Government's own independent watchdog has given ministers the red card on this bill – and labelled it ‘not fit for purpose’.
“Ministers must come clean about the true nature of this nasty bill. They must not be allowed to duck scrutiny.”
Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said: “It was clear from the start that this anti-strikes Bill is a total ‘dog’s dinner’ which will only inflame and prolong disputes.
“Now we can see that it has been so badly thrown together that it has received the worst verdict of any draft law that anyone can remember.”
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner blasted: “This is a damning judgement by the independent experts on the Government’s ‘Sacking Nurses’ Bill.
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“Tory ministers have failed utterly to do due diligence on the shoddy, unworkable policy, breaking their own rules and failing to provide evidence for their claims.”
Accusing ministers of a “dereliction of duty”, she added: “It's little wonder they're trying to rush this legislation through Parliament because not one bit of it stands up to scrutiny."