Industrial action continues to be in sharp focus at the heart of government and I have been involved in ongoing discussions.

Huge amounts of time and effort are being poured into trying to resolve disputes and keep vital public services running and available to the public.

The amount of discussion and engagement that has taken place with stakeholders and unions is enormous and this intense activity will be sustained until there is a breakthrough.

In the meantime, the Industrial Action Bill has been introduced to ensure that critical services maintain a safe minimum level of provision for the British people during disputes.

We will always defend the right of workers to strike but their freedom must be balanced with the public’s right to life and ability to pursue their livelihoods.

Therefore, the Government will introduce minimum service levels for services such as healthcare, rail, fire, and border security to maintain critical and life-saving services. 

These measures will see the UK align with many countries across the world, including France and Spain, that already have minimum service agreements in place to prevent swathes of their economies being held to ransom by industrial action.

Trade union laws are and always have been intended to support a collaborative approach to resolving industrial disputes.

While the Government and I continue to support the right to strike, this should always be a last resort.

The Government is not responsible for decisions on pay. Well-established independent pay review processes are the right way to set public sector pay – it provides independent, expert advice and is a neutral process in which all parties play a role.

That said, the Government recognises the particular economic challenges the country faces this year. A balance must be struck between giving workers a fair and reasonable settlement while also taking steps bring down inflation, which is in everyone’s long-term interests.

In these unusual times, inflation-matching pay awards that many of the unions are demanding will make the fight against inflation more challenging.

This would not only erode the value of any pay increase for striking workers but also hurt all households, businesses and institutions across the country.

My schedule in Salisbury this week includes surgery appointments on issues including housing, tax and local business.