Thank you. I’d just like to say to the Cabinet Secretary: if your social partnership has been so successful, why does Wales have the lowest pay, employment and prosperity levels in the whole of Britain? In its briefing for the original UK Government Bill, the House of Commons library found that, in 2015, Wales had the fourth highest amount of working days lost out of the UK regions—six per 1,000 employees. And as I stated earlier, estimations from the department for business, energy, innovation and skills indicate that the current UK Government Act provisions will save over 1.5 million working hours per year, boosting the UK economy by £100 million. It just baffles me why you would not want to see that success.

The CBI has also noted that the introduction of strike ballot thresholds does not contradict any UK-ratified International Labour Organization conventions, or undermine any EU rights. This is about ensuring the employee voice is democratically heard in industrial disputes. Too often, we see strikes go ahead on very low turnout, or with the support of a small proportion of the workforce. In 2014 thousands of schools were closed following a ballot that achieved a turnout of 27 per cent. In relation to political elections, voting to take part in strike action and voting in a general election or Assembly election are completely different. Everyone can vote for their MP or AM, while strikes affect everyone but the majority of those members of the public affected by strikes have no opportunity or no say to vote on whether the strike should take place. It is only fair that strikes should happen on a decent turnout.

Now, interestingly enough, the turnout at this year’s snap election was 68.7 per cent, well above the threshold that we are suggesting here. Llywydd, I don’t expect to see support from across the Chamber, given the exceptional amount of funding provided to certain parties by trade unions. However, I would hope to see Members rise above their own interests and such matters to vote in favour of fair and democratic strike action, which we believe is in the interest of all involved.