Archbishop Smith: Government should 'tread carefully' with Trade Union Bill

Archbishop Peter Smith has welcomed changes to the Trade Union Bill after writing urging the Business Secretary to rethink the legislation in light of Catholic Social Teaching.

In a letter sent to Sajid Javid MP, Archbishop Smith said he shared the reservations of trade unionists when it came to the proposals on strike action and questioned whether the bill constituted a “proportionate response to the scale of the problem”.

The Trade Union Bill introduced in the Commons last year seeks to tighten control on strike action, by introducing higher voting thresholds, and looks to put an end to the so-called ‘check-off’ system which local authorities use to deduct union membership fees automatically from workers’ monthly salaries.

Critics say changes could make it harder for workers to strike legally and may result in Labour losing up to £8m in funding a year because the bill changes the way trade unionists pay into their union political fund, the only source from which unions can give money to Labour.

“An effective democracy requires an effective opposition, and it’s hard to justify a party in office using its majority to affect adversely the funding of that opposition,” said Smith in his letter to the government.

This week the bill had its third reading in the House of Lords where significant amendments were agreed, including the trial of an e-voting system that will make it easier for people to vote for strike action; reassurance that the check-off system can remain and delays to changes to political funding.

The bill now enters the ‘ping pong’ stage where it will be debated back and forth between the Commons and the Lords until consensus is reached.

Archbishop Smith said: “I hope that now the Bill is shortly returning to the House of Commons that elected Members will give these concerns the same consideration. The Church has long recognised that trade unions play an important role in civil society and the Government should tread carefully to ensure that they can effectively represent their members.”