The Green Party has launched a Workers Charter to ‘rebalance’ the relationship between workers and employers. They say: "All anti-union and anti-strike laws introduced since 1979 would be scrapped." This is a really big deal (thread)... Scrapping "all" anti-union laws would, presumably, include the Trade Union Act 1984, which required membership ballots for union executives and political funds. Prior to the 1980s, there was no requirement for unions to elect executives & general secretaries by secret ballot of the full membership This meant that you had cases like Ernest Bevin leading the TGWU for nearly 20 years, Arthur Deakin running it for 15 years until his death etc. Across ~six decades, Britain's biggest union had only five general secretaries, none of whom faced periodic re-election by the full membership It's possible the Greens wouldn't scrap legally-required elections/ballots for union general secretaries, executives, and political funds, but the wording of scrapping "all" anti-union laws strongly implies they would Other big things about scrapping "all" anti-union laws: Scrapping the Trade Union Act 1984: The act ensured secret ballots before strike action. Not clear if they'd be retained. So you could have a return to in-person strike ballots (the mass meetings of yore, "everyone out" etc) 'Political strikes' would be legalised - e.g. strikes designed (explicitly) to bring down a Green Govt The effect of scrapping "all" post-1979 anti-union laws could, hypothetically, mean a (potentially unelected) Gen Sec calling a strike, to take place immediately, to oppose Green asylum policy I'm assuming the final proposals from the Greens will be more nuanced than all this, but the framing so far is pretty conclusive: "All anti-union and anti-strike laws introduced since 1979 would be scrapped, to ensure strong legal rights to strike, picket, protest and partake in solidarity action." The closed shop (mandatory union membership, of one union in a workplace) was also abolished after 1979. It's likely it would be struck down under the ECHR if it was reintroduced, but it would be a bit messy. Re some responses: yes the Greens have pledged a new employment rights act. So I imagine some of this would be clarified & tightened up. But their language of repealing "all anti-union laws since 1979" seems pretty explicit to me and I generally think official party statements should be read as such Also, re. any bad faith interpretations, plus also for full disclosure: I'm a union member (NUJ) and have been a member of various unions since the age of 18 (ie my working life). My mum was a union rep, I've worked for union orgs, etc. etc.