TRADE UNIONISTS hailed the passing of a Welsh law yesterday which tears chunks out of Tory anti-strike legislation passed just last year.

The Senedd’s Trade Union (Wales) Bill weakens Westminster’s Trade Union Act by removing punitive restrictions on ballot thresholds in devolved public services.

And it strengthens local laws that stop bosses from using scab labour to undermine industrial disputes.

Wales TUC general secretary Martin Mansfield said the so-called “Welsh Way” measures would help avoid industrial action by helping trade unions to engage with employers and the government at an early stage to deal with potential disputes.

Mr Mansfield said: “The Welsh government promised that it would protect our devolved services from the Westminster government’s anti-union attack and today it delivered on that promise.

“Wales TUC warmly welcomes the new Bill and the strong support shown by the Assembly for our social partnership approach in Wales.”

Under the Bill key elements of the Tory Act will be removed for devolved public services. This includes removing the 40 per cent threshold for industrial action ballots in the public sector, a key part of the Westminster Act.

The Senedd also passed legislation that protects the right to time-off for trade union reps and for union subscriptions to be deducted via “check-off,” which the Tories wanted to stop in the hope that union membership would fall.

Mr Mansfield said the government was committed to “partnership working” with trade unions and explained that the “Welsh Way” works in avoiding industrial action by dealing with disputes at an early stage “through mature negotiation and honest debate.”

Mr Mansfield said: “Thanks to the support of Welsh government and progressive political parties in the Senedd, this approach can continue to deliver for both the people of Wales and for the services we all rely on.”

He urged the British government to “fully respect the democratic will of the people of Wales” and warned against “underhand” and undemocratic attempts to interfere in how public services are run in Wales.

The Tories had previously threatened to legislate against the Senedd’s Bill claiming that it undermines the principles of their Act.