{"id":765067,"date":"2022-07-31T16:20:53","date_gmt":"2022-07-31T16:20:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecanary.co\/?p=1614322"},"modified":"2022-07-31T16:20:53","modified_gmt":"2022-07-31T16:20:53","slug":"prepare-for-a-tory-government-thats-as-extremist-as-margaret-thatchers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2022\/07\/31\/prepare-for-a-tory-government-thats-as-extremist-as-margaret-thatchers\/","title":{"rendered":"Prepare for a Tory government that\u2019s as extremist as Margaret Thatcher\u2019s"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Tory leadership candidate Rishi Sunak is behind<\/a> Liz Truss according to a poll of party members. Whoever becomes party leader, given the reactionary policies already in place, the next Tory government will likely be no less extremist than that of Margaret Thatcher.<\/p>\n

Criminalising industrial action<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Thatcher’s defining moment was the crushing<\/a> of the miners’ union. She achieved this with the support of scabs and the acquiescence of moderate trade unions and the Trade Unions Congress. But if Truss has her way, such tactics may be rendered redundant, for she seeks to make strikes virtually ineffective<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union general secretary Mick Lynch says<\/a> Truss:<\/p>\n

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is proposing to make effective trade unionism illegal in Britain and to rob working people of a key democratic right. If these proposals become law, there will be the biggest resistance mounted by the entire trade union movement, rivalling the General Strike of 1926, the Suffragettes and Chartism.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Specifically, Truss plans to<\/a> bring in minimum service levels on critical infrastructure during strikes. In other words, the government will facilitate scab action, just as Thatcher did with the Nottinghamshire miners<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Of course, the Tory government has already changed the law so that businesses can more easily hire scab labour to undermine strike action:<\/p>\n

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Today we changed the law to allow businesses impacted by strike action to hire skilled, temporary workers to mitigate disruption.<\/p>\n

This was a criminal offence. Now it\u2019s an option for business.<\/p>\n

We will not let trade unions grind our economy to a halt.<\/p>\n

\"\ud83d\udc49\ud83c\udffe\" https:\/\/t.co\/cxsa02kLdg<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/W5xooxevt6<\/a><\/p>\n

— Kwasi Kwarteng (@KwasiKwarteng) July 21, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n