Majority of Clackmannanshire Councillors hit out at controversial Trade Union Bill

At the full council meeting last Thursday, 5 November, council leader Les Sharp urged fellow members to formally oppose the proposed law, which has passed second reading in Westminster and moved to the committee stage last week.

He said he wanted to “stand up for the rights of workers” – and apart from Conservative councillor Alastair Campbell, all members agreed with him. 

SNP councillor Craig Holden said: “Striking is a fundamental right. The UK is not engaged in a striking culture.”

He added that the Bill was “ideologically driven” and said that the 14-day notice unions have to give prior to striking was an “offensive and disturbing development”. 

Labour group leader Bobby McGill said the Bill will understandably “cause unrest” and Derek Stewart explained: “Nobody wants to go to strike. It’s a last resort [and the Bill] would do away with the democratic right.”

Defending the Bill, Mr Campbell said “you can’t blame” a political party for delivering policies that were on its manifesto during the election. 

Independent Archie Drummond said: "[The Bill is] not what’s good. This is class war.” 

Following the meeting, Mr McGill told the Advertiser: “To me, it’s the Tories being Tories.

“There is absolutely no need for this, it’s pure political dogma. We’ve not got a country that’s rife with strikes.

“I just don’t understand where it’s coming from.” 

The councillor, who is a NUM trade unionist, added: “Even now, we have to jump through a hundred and one hoops.”

Mr Sharp said: “[The Bill] really is wrong. It’s the Conservative Government that don’t like trade unions.

"They are trying to push this through, but I think there will be a huge resistance towards it. 

“Certainly the SNP is against it and I think pretty much every council now has signed up to make a point, a motion at council, against it,” he added. “It’s trying to take back rights that have been there for years now and I think that’s wrong.”