THE new Conservative Government will seek to implement legislation that a strike affecting health, transport, fire services or schools will need to be backed by 40 per cent of union members.

There will also need to be a minimum 50 per cent turnout in strike ballots.

Additionally, the proposal would allow the increased use of agency workers to replace striking workers.

There will be many, especially in this area, who consider this right and fair as the Government suggests.

I myself have a little sympathy with that view.

However, the counter argument is that this will make legal strikes virtually impossible.

The Secretary General of the TUC is quoted as saying, “This is a government not so much on the side of hard working people, but Britain’s worst bosses - those who want their staff to be on zero-hours contracts, poverty pay and unable to effectively organise in a union so that they can do something about it.”

To put this proposal in perspective consider this – The government itself was elected with only 36.9 per cent of votes cast and the turnout at the general election was 66.1 per cent. This means the Conservatives got the votes of only 25 per cent of the electorate.

According to Newly appointed business secretary Sajid Javid said the Conservatives wanted to change strike rules during the coalition, but were blocked by the Lib Dems. I believe people will come to miss the Lib Dems, who acted as a brake on the Conservatives from within the Coalition – especially with the fragmented Opposition in the new Parliament.

DAVID CHICKEN Croft Road, Parkstone