NI Assembly rejects bid to reform trade union laws

Trade union members held a demonstration at Stormont, urging politicians to support the bill

Proposals to reform trade union laws in Northern Ireland were "inappropriate", Economy Minister Gordon Lyons has said.

Stormont assembly members (MLAs) voted narrowly by 43 to 38 to reject the bill, brought by People Before Profit.

Its MLA Gerry Carroll proposed several measures he said would "reverse the trend of decades of attacks" on trade unions.

But Mr Lyons of the DUP warned the bill would "not achieve improved outcomes for employees or employers".

What was proposed?

The Trade Union and Labour Relations (Amendment) Bill sought to reduce the required notice period before a union can take industrial action from seven days to two.

It would have lowered the minimum number of employees needed for an employer to consider a request for industrial action by a trade union from 21 to five.

It also would have reduced the level of information required from unions before action can be taken and removed the requirement for a postal ballot process, when voting to decide whether to start such action.

Members from several unions including the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the University and College Union (UCU) at Queen's University Belfast had gathered at Stormont ahead of the debate, urging the assembly to back the bill.

Mr Carroll told MLAs that if politicians wanted to prove their support for workers, they needed to "put their money where their mouth is" and vote for the legislation.

Gerry Carroll from the People Before Profit party represents the Belfast West constituency

"There is an onus on the assembly to hear the appeal of workers that has been left shamefully untouched for over 20 years," he added.

"This decade should be one in which workers' rights are protected."

Sinn Féin and the SDLP said they were broadly in favour of the bill.

But the DUP economy minister criticised the proposals and insisted he could not support them.

Mr Lyons said those calling for the reform were "silent" on the costs it would bring for businesses.

"I am concerned that the only reason for reducing the notice period would be to cause maximum disruption at a time we can least afford it," he added.

"The goal here should not be to make it as easy as possible to take industrial action, it should be agreement rather than trying to move straight to the nuclear option."

The Ulster Unionists and Alliance voted with the DUP against the legislation.

Mr Carroll's bill was already unlikely to make it into law in time, ahead of the assembly being dissolved for the election in May.

He has said he hoped the proposals could be reintroduced in the next mandate.