The Labour leader Ed Miliband has told Andrew Marr he doesn’t like the idea of a coordinated strike
Labour leader Ed Miliband has said he is “appalled” by the idea of trade unions planning strikes to disrupt Royal Wedding celebrations.
He told the BBC such a plan of action would be “absolutely the wrong thing to do” and a “sign of failure”.
There have been reports of transport and public sector strikes on 29 April, but unions have played down the idea in recent days.
David Cameron has suggested changing the law to make it harder to strike.
London Underground drivers in the Aslef union had been considering walking out on the day of Prince William’s marriage to Kate Middleton, but the threat has been removed as talks with Transport for London officials take place.
British Airways cabin crew have also talked of striking on the same day and over the Easter period. But, last week, Len McCluskey, the general secretary-elect of the Unite union, said there was “no likelihood” of such action.
There are, however, suggestions that public sector workers may protest on the day against the effects of government cuts, including pay freezes and job losses.
Mr Miliband told BBC One’s Andrew Marr Show: “I’m appalled by the idea that there are going to be strikes to disrupt the Royal Wedding. That’s absolutely the wrong thing for the trade unions to do.
“I would totally condemn that and similarly in relation to the Olympics…
“Strikes are a last resort and a sign of failure on both sides… They are not the way you change a government. The way you change a government is through the ballot box.”
He added: “What we are not going to do under my leadership is go back to the heroic failures of the 1980s.”
The prime minister has suggested he could look at the law on industrial action, amid calls for strike ballots to be unlawful if under half of a union’s membership takes part.
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