A MASSIVE drop in the number of working days lost to strikes since Labour came to power shows the government must always stand with workers, campaigners have said.

The number of working days lost to industrial action fell by almost two thirds during Labour’s first year in power, new GMB analysis published today suggests. 

In the 12 months leading up to July 2024, when Labour won power, 1,406,000 working days were lost to strikes. 

During the year following the party’s win, just 559,000 were lost, a huge drop of more than 60 per cent. 

The figures, which come from GMB analysis of Office of National Statistics data, were discussed at the union’s annual congress in Blackpool.

Lifting the wages of millions of low-paid workers and improvements to employment rights, such as day one sick pay, help explain the drop, the union said. 

GMB head of research and policy Ross Holden said: “Workers go on strike when work doesn’t pay and bad bosses don’t listen. 

“It’s no wonder we saw the biggest strike disruption in decades under the Tories who took the side of bad bosses and left our economy in chaos.  

“This drop in strike days shows that employers have nothing to fear in Labour’s plan to make work pay. It must be delivered in full.” 

A Momentum spokesperson said: “The drop in strike days is thanks to impassioned trade unionists, activists and Labour members who have continued to pile pressure on this government to strengthen workers’ rights. 

“Labour must always stand with workers: backing unions, defending the right to protest and fighting for fair pay and secure jobs. That’s what it was founded to do.”