Daisy works for the Ritzy, a very profitable cinema that wasn't paying staff enough to live on. As rent and bills went up but their pay didn't, Daisy and her workmates couldn't make ends meet. As their employer refused to listen to their concerns, they decided to take strike action as a last resort. It wasn't easy, but they succeeded in winning a significant pay rise – making a huge difference to their daily lives.
The trade union bill currently going through Parliament threatens the basic right to strike. It allows employers to bus in agency temps to break strikes and puts new restrictions on picketing and protests during a strike – including passing activists' names to police and employers, and unions having to say what they will post on Facebook or Twitter two weeks in advance.
The right to strike is a last resort for ordinary workers when employers won't listen. No one wants to go on strike – and most disputes are settled long before it gets to that point. But it's often crucial in bringing employers to the negotiating table. Threatening the right to strike tilts the balance in the workplace too far towards the employers. And that means ordinary workers like Daisy can't defend their jobs or pay.
In a country where inequality, low pay and insecure employment are rising, the last thing we need is to restrict the rights of workers like Daisy to stand up for themselves. Please sign this to show your support and put pressure on David Cameron to think again.
