Conservatives would block more "ridiculous" transport strikes, McLoughlin vows

McLoughlin: strikes that do not have wide support from union members are "ridiculous" and unfair on the travelling public

McLoughlin: strikes that do not have wide support from union members are "ridiculous" and unfair on the travelling public

The Conservatives are pledging new laws to make strikes by transport workers harder by requiring at least 40 per cent of union members to vote in strike ballots.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin told the BBC that a planned London bus strike on Tuesday 13 January was "ridiculous" because it had only been voted for by 16% of people eligible to take part in the ballot. 

"A strike in the public sector affects many people who have no chance and exercise no authority over that strike whatsoever. So before it takes place it ought to have the support of at least 40% of the members of that trade union."

But the RMT union's general secretary Mike Cash said the plans would "rig strike ballots" and that the "Tories are elected on pathetic turnouts with minority support but they want one form of democracy for a corrupt political class and another for the organised working class".