Britain would lose 500,000 more working hours per strike day if Labour was in power

BRITAIN would have had 500,000 more working hours lost per strike day in 2022 if Labour was in power, Tory analysis has found.

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner plans to repeal laws that mean unions have to get the backing of a minimum percentage of workers before they call strikes.

Number crunchers at Tory HQ said this would have cleared the way for another 74 strikes in the public sector.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “Angela Rayner is clearly marching to the tune of Labour’s union paymasters.

“Her hard-left, French style, union rights policy will hand the strike barons the powers to grind Britain to a halt, and cripple vital public bodies and services through never-ending strikes, taking us right back to the chaos of the 1970s.

“Be in no doubt that if Labour are given an unaccountable majority they will hand the keys to this country to the militant unions.

“Do not surrender our public services to Labour.”

Current laws mean 50 per cent of union members must vote in a strike ballot for it to be legal.

In key public services like the NHS and schools, strikes must have the backing of 40 per cent of trade union members to go ahead.

Tory analysts say if you look at the number of strike ballots held in 2022 that failed to meet these thresholds, it would have meant 74 more strikes.

This would have resulted in 498,684 of lost hours in walkouts at the Ministry of Defence, the National Crime Agency and the Crown Prosecution Service.

Labour said: “We will reset the Tories’ failed­ approach.”