London Underground: Industrial Action

Lord Kinnock Excerpts

Monday 10th March 2014 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Kramer]

Your Lordships are right to say that Transport for London, or London Underground, was able to run about 40% of its trains during the strike and that Londoners, although under stress, found different ways to get to work—as Londoners do. As I say, at this point in time the two parties are talking, and I hope very much that they are talking constructively. BIS is planning a review of the whole area of industrial disputes, and I think it is best if I do not add yet another set of views.

[Lord Kinnock (Lab)]

Does the Minister accept that the consequences of strikes in public transport are invariably that people are deeply inconvenienced, demoralised and absolutely furious—with justification? However, would she advise those who are asking for bans on strikes in public transport to acknowledge the fact that in a free society, if workers in crucial services are denied by law the right to strike, their resentments and difficulties will then find expression in even more inconvenient ways? That is the reality of democracy.

[Baroness Kramer]

All Members of this House recognise that there is complexity around all of these issues. They need a great deal of thought and a great deal of debate.