WELSH politicians have united in their opposition to the UK Government’s controversial proposed Trade Union Bill.

The proposals were discussed in the Senedd on Tuesday, January 26, where AMs voted 43 to 13 in favour of demanding the UK Government go back to the drawing board on the plans.

Opponents to the bill, which will stop unions from calling strikes without support from at least 40 per cent of its membership and double the current notice period for industrial action from seven days to 14, have claimed it will undermine the rights of workers to take action against their employers.

Calling it “damaging and divisive”, the Welsh Government’s Public Services Minister Leighton Andrews said he believed it was not appropriate for the UK Government to enforce the bill on Wales.

“In Wales we have a good record of resolving disputes,” he said.

“There were no junior doctor strikes in Wales.

“We believe this bill will lead to a confrontational relationship between employers and trade unions.”

Newport East AM John Griffiths also said he was opposed to the bill, calling it “an ideologically driven attack on public sector employee rights and the role of trade unions”.

“Our public bodies perform best when all involved work together,” he said. “The Trade Union Bill must be kept out of Wales.”

Caerphilly AM Jeff Cuthbert also called it “an insidious and politically-motivated piece of legislation”.

Of the four parties in the Assembly, only the Conservatives voted against the motion to reject the bill.

However, the motion has no legislative binding on the Westminster Government, which can continue to pass the bill regardless.

Newport City Council members also debated the bill at the first full council meeting of the year later the same day, where they voted 31 to 10 in favour of calling on the Welsh Government to take action to stop it from passing into law.

Speaking at the meeting at Newport Civic Centre Labour ward member for Alway and the council’s deputy leader Cllr Ray Truman called the bill “a fundamental attack on basic human rights”.

“With this bill I fear we will go back 30 years,” he said.

But Conservative member for Allt-yr-yn Cllr Matthew Evans – who is also running for the Newport West seat in May’s Assembly election – called it “a sensible move in the right direction”.

“Unions do have an important role to play, but this bill seeks to ensure essential services are not disrupted at short notice by strikes supported by a small proportion of union members,” he said.

The bill, which will also allow employers to replace striking workers with agency workers, has already passed through Parliament and is currently being considered by the House of Lords.