Employment Rights Bill: Government amendment (a) in lieu of LA62

What happened: The House of Commons voted on 5 November 2025 to pass a government replacement amendment to Lords Amendment 62 of the Employment Rights Bill, by 311 votes to 152. Lords Amendment 62 would have removed a clause retaining the existing 50% turnout threshold for industrial action ballots. The government's substitute amendment, rather than simply accepting or rejecting the Lords position outright, requires the Secretary of State to consider the effects of introducing electronic balloting on voter turnout in industrial action ballots. The government's compromise position prevailed comfortably.

Why it matters: The vote concerns the rules governing when trade unions can legally call strikes. Under the current law, at least 50% of eligible union members must participate in a ballot for industrial action to be lawful. The Lords had sought to remove this threshold entirely. The government declined to go that far, instead proposing that any future introduction of electronic balloting, which could raise participation rates, must be assessed for its effect on turnout proportions. This preserves the threshold for now while signalling that it could be reviewed alongside modernisation of balloting methods. The outcome affects millions of unionised workers and their employers across the public and private sectors, bearing directly on the conditions under which strikes can occur.

The politics: Labour MPs voted unanimously in favour of the government's position, joined by SNP, Plaid Cymru, Green, and most independent members. Conservatives and Liberal Democrats voted together against, with Reform UK's two present members also opposing. The Liberal Democrats argued for retaining the full 50% threshold without qualification, while Conservatives characterised the broader bill as damaging to employment and economic growth. The vote is part of a prolonged parliamentary back-and-forth on the Employment Rights Bill between the Commons and Lords, with several related divisions occurring in December 2025 suggesting the bill remained contested well into its passage.