When workers take action together, real change happens. But for a long time now, acting collectively has been made deliberately difficult by government.
In this episode of the Napo podcast, Assistant General Secretary Ranjit Singh breaks down how anti-trade union laws continue to weaken workers’ voices and why this must change.
A system designed to slow us down
Anti-trade union laws don’t ban unions. Instead they chip away at workers’ ability to act. Ranjit explains: “We’re talking about rules that make it harder for workers to act collectively.”
In practice, this is done via a long list of deliberate obstacles:
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Industrial Action Ballots must be done by post only, even though online voting is standard almost everywhere else.
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Unions must reach 50% turnout of all eligible members, not just those who vote.
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Employers can challenge ballots over the smallest technical error.
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Even when we win a mandate, it expires quickly, forcing unions to re-ballot repeatedly.
If a letter gets lost, a member moves house, or the post is delayed, an entire ballot can fall.
Why Napo’s ballots look like military operations
The law forces unions to jump over unnecessarily high hurdles, and the impact on unions is huge.
“We have to plan ballots like a military operation,” Ranjit says. “Long lead-in times, detailed data checks, careful communications, and contingency plans if anything gets challenged.”
In Ranjit’s view: “We spend a huge amount of time just making sure we’re legally compliant instead of spending that time building campaigns and supporting people at work.”
Employment Rights Bill promises change
For the first time in years, there is some movement in parliament. The Employment Rights Bill could transform union democracy, but only if the government stops diluting it.
“It could make a genuine difference,” Ranjit says. “Electronic balloting at long last. Simpler notice and paperwork requirements. Longer ballot mandates. Easier union recognition.”
The potential is huge. Bringing industrial action ballots into the twenty-first century alone would be a landmark shift.
But Ranjit also warns that key promises have already been stripped out under pressure from corporate lobbying. “Day-one rights are now gone,” he notes. “The ban on zero-hours contracts has been diminished.”
For a party claiming to support working people, this erosion is deeply disappointing.
This is the moment to stay engaged
We know how many members are under strain and we cannot necessarily rely on the Employment Rights Bill to put things right.
This is the moment when members’ involvement matters most.
As Ranjit says in his closing message: “Your membership isn’t just a subscription. It’s part of a bigger movement that protects you and your colleagues.”
