UNIONS in the north-west united over the weekend in their determination to resist the government’s anti-strike legislation.

Speaker after speaker at the annual conference of North West region of the TUC on Saturday said that the Tories’ Minimum Services Bill, forcing workers who voted to strike to scab, must be fought with co-ordinated action, including strikes.

And firefighters’ union FBU said that if necessary the law would have to be defied to defeat the legislation.

Three unions — FBU, the National Education Union (NEU) and general union GMB — proposed motions calling for a united campaign to resist the legislation.

FBU delegate Daniel Giblin won applause when he said that if necessary, resistance would include breaking the law.

He said: “[This legislation] is about an attack on working people.

“If this Bill comes into law, we will resist it in the only way we can. We will resist it by breaking the law. That is the only way to defeat this.

“We need to do more than just wave banners. We need to get back to our roots, to take direct action.

“Let’s get into the real world. They are sacking people for taking industrial action anyway.”

Mr Giblin said that the union has members “champing at the bit to go to war with this government.”

NEU delegate Karen Copsey said that Britain already has “the most repressive anti-trade union laws in Europe,” saying: “disappointingly, Labour is not going to come in and change it. We have got to take action.

“The anti-strike laws are all about the Tories looking after their paymasters rather than ordinary workers. We have got to stand up against these people.”

She said that the public was not aware of how the legislation, including how the Tories’ Bill to dump European laws would affect their lives.

“People do not seem to see what is going on. It is not just working people’s rights,” she said.

“Our few remaining rights are under attack.”

GMB delegate Ruth Pitchford said that the government was frightened of trade union strength, and that strikers and their unions now have public support.

The conference backed motions from the FBU, NEU and GMB calling for a co-ordinated campaign against anti-strike legislation including by strike action if necessary.