GOVERNMENT ministers need to take their responsibilities seriously and make greater efforts to end the strikes crippling the NHS, according to Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson.
She told GB News: “The way to stop strikes happening is for ministers to take their responsibility seriously, rather than bringing in new legislation they should be sitting down with the trade unions and start trying to sort this out and to try and get an agreement.
“That’s the approach we would be taking. I think this legislation we’re talking about is unworkable.
“It’s a complete distraction from what needs to happen, which is proper discussions to try and avert further strike action in the future.
“The unions have been clear about what they want to discuss with ministers, it’s just ministers are refusing to do so.”
Asked about the impact of such legislation in other European countries, she said: “It’s not working especially well in France, where they’ve seen strikes increase they brought in this legislation, and it’s not working especially well in Spain, either where it’s being challenged in the courts.
“Ministers have known for a very long time that industrial action was potentially going to happen across a number of different areas of the public sector, and they haven’t done anything to properly avert that kind of action taking place.
“And I think the fact we’ve had chaos at the heart of government for almost a year has meant that there hasn’t been proper discussion with trade unions about how to sort this out.
“The same is true in education, where we’ve had five education secretaries in one year – little wonder that no progress has been made on this.”
On Labour’s plan to end tax breaks for private schools, she said: “I think parents can make choices about where they send their children to school and that includes private schools.
“I just happen to think that private schools shouldn’t enjoy tax benefits. I don’t think it can be justified. I think it’s an easy and straightforward way that we could raise £1.7 billion and invest that money into delivering a brilliant state education for every child, driving up standards in our state schools and making sure we’ve got more teachers in our classrooms…
“We know that teachers are leaving the profession in their droves because of the workload that they’re facing and the pressure they’re under, and as Education Secretary, I want to make sure that changes and I want to deliver high standards for every child in our country.”
She took issue with figures claiming that private schools drive up attendances in neighbouring State schools: “The evidence doesn’t support that.
“I don’t support the bogus numbers that the private schools lobby bandy about.
“It’s a shame that Conservative MPs continue to parrot them rather than standing up for the vast majority of children and families who use the state sector.
“I have no problem with parents who choose to send their children to private school. They want the best for their children. I want the best for all children right across our country and that’s my priority.”
On the prospect of teachers going on strike, Ms Phillipson said: “No one wants to see strikes going ahead and I certainly don’t want to see disruption in our schools.
“It’s regrettable, the situation that we see in Scotland and I don’t want to see that here in England too. And that’s why I think it’s vital that the education secretary here in England seeks to resolve this.
“There were further talks that took place on Monday. It’s not clear that any progress has been made there, ministers have been refusing for months to talk about pay, and that’s got to change.”
