MINISTERS are secretly back-peddling on parts of their hated Trade Union Bill in a bid to get it through the Lords, a letter leaked yesterday revealed.

Skills Minister Nick Bowles wrote to Cabinet Office chief Oliver Letwin and Commons leader Chris Grayling on January 26 asking permission to make some concessions to areas where “the government is likely to suffer defeats.”

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said unions “continue to oppose the Bill in its entirety.”

Changes include a review into the possibility of electronic strike ballots to avert the “flagship” threshold introductions being defeated.

But there’ll be no timeframe on the review reporting, which Ms O’Grady branded “not good enough.”

She said: “If online balloting is safe and secure enough for the Conservatives to select their candidate for London mayor, there can be no excuse for delaying its introduction for union members.”

Mounting opposition to the Bill from devolved governments in Scotland and Wales also prompted Mr Bowles to suggest legal consultation rights on ballot thresholds, attacks on facility time and collecting union subs via payroll — though all these would remain in place in England.

Ministers are also willing to drop extensions to the industrial action notice period and the need for picket supervisors to wear armbands to get their most important assault on organised labour — a 40 per cent threshold on strike ballots — past peers.

The TUC launched its Heart Unions week of action yesterday, which includes nationwide workplace meetings today.

Ms O’Grady will be joined by comedian Eddie Izzard for a live broadcast available from heartunions.org/bigwork
placemeeting at 12.45pm.