The MP for Stevenage, Stephen McPartland, has branded the government's planned anti-strike legislation as "shameful".
Yesterday, January 10, the government published new legislation which would require minimum service levels from ambulance staff, firefighters and railway workers during strikes.
It would mean that some staff would be legally required to work, and could be sacked if they refuse to do so.
Grant Shapps, the business secretary and MP for Welwyn Hatfield, told the House of Commons that the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill is a "common-sense" response to the ongoing strike action across several sectors.
However, Mr McPartland criticised the plans. In a tweet, he wrote that it was "shameful, shameful, shameful to target individual workers and order them to walk past their mates on picket line or be sacked.
"By all means fine the Unions, make them agree to minimum service levels, but don't sack individual NHS staff, teachers and workers!!!"
Kevin Bonavia, Labour's parliamentary candidate for Stevenage, said: "Banning certain types of worker from strikes would not only be an attack on their basic rights, but it would ultimately mean more nurses and teachers forced to leave their jobs and make the current staffing crisis even worse.
"If Mr McPartland is genuinely worried about NHS staff, teachers and other workers being sacked, he needs to get his Conservative government minister friends to bin this cruel and damaging bill."
We have asked Mr McPartland if he will vote against the bill and are awaiting response.
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