UNIONS have reacted with dismay to Government plans that will make it 'almost impossible' for workers to go on strike.

Under proposals to be introduced in the Government's first Queen's Speech, Business Secretary Sajid Javid has said the new Tory administration will allow employers to hire agency staff to fill gaps left by workers who have gone on strike.

New laws will be introduced to stop public sector strikes going ahead unless they have the support of 40 per cent of workers eligible to vote.

And turnout will have to reach at least 50 per cent of those entitled to vote for a strike to go ahead.

The newly-appointed Business Secretary said the Government would not hide away from the need to update strike laws but his comments provoked a furious reaction from trade unions.

Beth Farhat, the regional secretary of Northern TUC, said: “This is a government not so much on the side of hard-working people but Britain’s worst bosses – those who want their staff to be on zero-hours contracts, poverty pay and unable to effectively organise in a union so that they can do something about it.

"The government’s proposals on union ballots will make legal strikes close to impossible. After five years of falling living standards the prospects for decent pay rises have just got a whole lot worse.”

Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner, who has been leading the union’s efforts to modernise voting, said: “The divisive face of Conservatism has not taken long to reveal its face with the new business secretary Sajid Javid suggesting a 50 per cent turnout of all eligible union members voting for industrial action, instead of the straight majority now required.

“It is a terrible shame and a big mistake that one of the government’s first acts is to attempt to reduce rights for working people that even past Tory administrations have upheld.

“Voters did not put a tick in the box for this, especially as David Cameron has pledged that he wanted to reach out to all corners of Britain in the traditions of One Nation Conservatism.

“Many of the electors, who provided the Tories with their slim majority, are working people concerned about justice and fairness in the workplace.

“They won't understand why this proposal is coming from a new administration with just 36.9 per cent of the vote to underpin its legitimacy.

“Unite urges Sajid Javid and his colleagues think long and hard about this move as there are better ways of improving the mechanisms for industrial action ballots, such as electronic voting and ballots at the workplace.

“We are open for constructive discussions with ministers on these issues.”

Mr Javid also outlined plans to deregulate businesses, create two million jobs and three million apprenticeships, and promote free enterprise.

Mr Javid said: "We have already made clear in terms of strike laws that there will be some significant changes.

He added: "I think it's also something that needs to be done.

"We need to update our strike laws and we've never hidden away from the changes we want to make."