PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
GCHQ TRADES UNION BAN (25 January 1995)

That this House notes that 25th January marks the 11th anniversary of the Government's ban on trades unionism at GCHQ and two and a half years have now elapsed since the Government was compelled by the ever-increasing depth of international criticism to promise the United Nations International Labour Organisation to hold constructive talks with the Council of Civil Service Unions over the issue; further notes that, notwithstanding this, the Government has continued to be completely intransigent concerning its obligations to conform with the most central and important ILO Convention, No. 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise, which Britain was the first to ratify in 1949; yet again calls on the Government to end this insult to democracy, decency and justice by restoring full trades union rights to all workers at GCHQ and to reinstate those workers wrongfully sacked for standing up for a basic human freedom; and calls for legislation to be introduced as soon as possible to ensure that at no time in the future the medieval Royal Prerogative as used at GCHQ to enforce the ban on trades unions will be allowed to happen again.

Sponsored by:
Sir Alan Meale (Labour)