Criticism for sweeping labour law reform

The government is planning a 50 per cent participation threshold for all trade union ballots for industrial action. There will also be a new threshold of at least 40 per cent of those entitled to vote required for strikes affecting essential public services. This would mean in effect non-voters are assumed as voting against any strike action, a principle which is not used in any other area of British public life.

The health sector has very low levels of industrial action, with only nine working days lost per 1,000 employees in 2014, compared to figures in the hundreds in other sectors.

The BDA has argued that the current proposals represent the most restrictive trade union laws in the Western world, are potentially outside the International Labour Organisations conventions, and may be open to legal challenge.

Mick Armstrong, Chair of the British Dental Association said:

“Dentists have never been on strike, but as a profession we have little choice but to reject these proposals out of hand.