Back to the future
The Conservatives take on an old foe
WHEN Margaret Thatcher came to power in 1979 she set about bulldozing the trade unions, which had frequently brought Britain grinding to a standstill in the 1970s. On May 27th David Cameron indicated that his Conservative government would try to finish the job. Under a proposed new law, strike ballots would need a 50% turnout for industrial action to be legal; in the case of “essential” public services they would need the support of 40% of eligible members. Unions called the measures “draconian”. Yet Mr Cameron’s plans may turn out to be less effective than they look.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Back to the future”
From the May 30th 2015 edition
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