news Minister backs curbing right to strike of more public sector workers in UK | industrial action

A cabinet minister has backed widening the list of workers banned from striking, suggesting it could include NHS staff and others in “critical infrastructure” jobs.Gillian

Keegan, the education secretary, suggested more people might be put on the same footing as police officers and the military, given the “disproportionate” disruption and threat

to public safety caused by such industrial action.She hinted that a long-delayed law to ensure minimum service levels on the rail network during strikes could be changed so that

other sectors are also targeted.Ministers are drawing up plans to curb disruption to public services, after Rishi Sunak's pledge for “tough” action in the face of a growing

number of planned strikes over below-inflation pay rises.Border Force guards became the latest to announce a series of strikes, following similar moves from nurses, railway

workers, Royal Mail staff, airport baggage handlers and civil servants.However, any new anti-strike legislation is unlikely to come into force before Christmas.Asked if she backed

banning more professions from going on strike, Keegan told LBC radio: “Well, yes. We do have some areas where strikes are not allowed as part of the contracts, so for example the

military can't go on strike and the police – there's some people, as a matter of public safety, you can't go on strike.“I think what we're looking at is: are there other areas

that we should include in that? Health would be one to look at, and other areas of critical infrastructure.”Keegan said she did not know whether teachers, some of whom are on a

two-day strike in Scotland, could end up being included in the list.While teachers are balloting for industrial action in England, Keegan said she was hopeful that a walkout was

not inevitable.She hinted a bill – promised as far back as 2019 – to ensure a minimum service on the rail network had been held up by the turbulence of two recent Tory

leadership elections, but added it would most likely be “prioritised”.Keegan said the government was looking at whether the bill should be broader.“Clearly, it's

disproportionate the impact it can have on people, when certain parts of the workforce are on strike,” she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you

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