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Education and Inspections Bill

The rule books of most unions—including mine—state that there must be a ballot of members before a strike can take place. My union rule book also gives a great deal of discretion to the executive to decide on other measures. Indeed, an argument is taking place at the moment in one trade union in the higher education sector about whether the executive should put a pay offer to a ballot or agree to it. It is up to the executive to decide in all those circumstances. My hon. Friend is right in regard to strike action, but wrong in regard to many other aspects of trade union law.