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Burnham: I’ll lead attacks on Tories’ anti-union laws

ANDY BURNHAM vowed yesterday to lead the fight against “entirely unjustifiable” Tory attacks on strike rights if he is elected Labour leader. 

The party leadership front-runner told journalists that the government’s Trade Union Bill was part of a “campaign of demonisation” against organised workers. 

“I hope civil society more broadly mobilises a campaign against it,” said Mr Burnham. “As Labour leader I will be in a strong position to lead that.” 

The shadow health secretary made the pledge as the government prepared to publish the Bill today before its first reading in Parliament next week.

The Tories’ proposals in the legislation include strike ballot thresholds thought by lawyers to breach International Labour Organisation conventions. 

“Getting a pay rise or defending terms and conditions will become far harder for working people,” said TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady.

“Even when ballots meet the government’s new thresholds, employers will soon be able to break strikes by bringing in agency workers.”

Mr Burnham praised unions yesterday for “involving people in democracy” by signing them up to vote in the Labour leadership election. 

And despite turning down union money for his own campaign, he said that Labour’s union link “produced the cleanest money in politics.”

He added: “I want to take the fight to the Prime Minister, who is funded by private health and hedge funds.”

All four Labour leadership candidates have said they would repeal the Trade Union Bill if they led a Labour government. 

However, only Jeremy Corbyn has also committed to reversing Margaret Thatcher’s already draconian anti-union legislation. 

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