TORY plans to introduce legislation forcing workers to break their own strikes will face a “mass movement” of resistance, unions warned today.

A large demonstration against the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill, which had its second reading in the Commons today, was due to be held opposite Downing Street after this article was published.

The proposed legislation, which comes amid a massive strike wave sweeping Britain, would empower bosses to sack workers who refuse to provide a minimum level of service during walkouts across transport, education and other key sectors. 

Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack slammed the authoritarian move, saying: “This protest is the start of a mass movement of resistance to this pernicious attack on the rights of working people.”

He accused mega-rich Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of “seeking to steamroller extremely severe restrictions on the right to strike through Parliament, without any meaningful scrutiny.

“Instead of launching draconian attacks on the rights of working people, the [PM] must provide the resources to pay firefighters and other workers a decent wage to alleviate in-work poverty,” Mr Wrack urged. 

The union is set to announce the results of its national strike ballot over plummeting take-home wages on January 30.

Mick Lynch, head of rail union RMT, which is embroiled in an increasingly bitter six-month dispute over jobs and salaries with Network Rail and many train operators, accused ministers of “wanting to make effective strike action illegal.

“This violation of democratic norms and values will be strongly opposed by the entire labour movement in Parliament, the courts and the workplace if passed,” he pledged. 

Usdaw leader Paddy Lillis condemned the “undemocratic, unworkable and probably illegal” strategy. 

“The Tories promised to ‘level up’ after the pandemic, but instead ministers are disgracefully seeking new ways to make it harder for working people to bargain collectively,” he said.

He called on MPs to reject the Bill, which the government claims is needed to prevent further disruption to key services.

The TUC, which is planning a day of protest against the legislation on February 1, noted that a government-appointed body has criticised ministers for failing to produce an impact assessment of their plans.

In a statement yesterday, the regulatory policy committee, a group of independent experts assembled by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, said an assessment has “not yet been submitted.”