A union official has slammed the government after ministers passed anti-strike legislation last week - describing Downing Street as "out of touch with the problems in the nation."
The bill - which seeks to "ensure a basic level of service" in public sectors - could allow bosses in health, education, fire, ambulance, rail and nuclear commissioning to sue unions and potentially sack employees if minimum levels are not met.
MPs voted in favour of proposals 315 to 245 last Monday, with the legislation now set to face scrutiny in the House of Lords.
"This shows how out of touch the government are to the problems in the nation," said Miles Hubbard, regional officer at Unite.
"Instead of engaging with people who are the backbone of this country, they are demonising them for exercising their democratic right to strike.
"We are in the basket case if we ban industrial action.
"The government should engage with these very real grievances rather than making workers' means of expressing them illegal."
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