Under fire: Johnson

Union leaders have slammed the government's decision to reject calls for new workers' rights.

Leaders of several key unions attacked an announcement that labour current legislation was working well and only needed "fine tuning".

In the white paper on the Employment Relations Act, Alan Johnson rejected calls from unions for a new law demanding firms employing fewer than 21 workers are covered by law on statutory union recognition.

He also said there was no need for a 40 per cent threshold of workers having to vote in union recognition ballots, another key union demand.

The government has backed technical changes to allow workers to be accompanied by a colleague in a disciplinary hearing plus earlier access rights to unions in recognition cases.

Legislation allowing workers on legal strike to be sacked after eight weeks - which had been singled out for union criticism - will remain.

"The evidence suggests that this law is working well. The fine-tuning proposed today will make it work even better. The number of strikes is at an all time low, while the number of people in work is at an all time high," said Johnson.

"With the success of this law, a new culture at work is emerging. Employers and unions are working together. And together, we are working well."

Brendan Barber, the new leader of the TUC, warned the review would bring "real anger" from union members.

He accused the government of caving in to business lobbying.

"While there are some useful advances in this White Paper that will make a real difference to people at work, unions will find the government's rejection of many TUC proposals extremely disappointing," he said.

"The government would be unwise to ignore the real anger in unions today. Our call for people at work to have a right to be represented by a union when a majority back it, irrespective of the size of the business, is a basic human right.''

The announcement will not improve already tense relations with unions which remain strained over Iraq and the use of the private sector in public services.

An agreement on two-tier workers announced by the government last month has done little to resolve differences.

A deal drawn up for the unions to give the Labour Party millions of pounds to fund its election campaigns is currently on ice because of the differences between the two sides.

Johnson defended his decision, saying the current arrangements had brought a new climate of co-operation between workers and employees."With the success of this law, a new culture at work is emerging. Employers and unions are working together.''

John Edmonds, general secretary of the GMB, did not hide his union's anger.

He said the government now had to decide which side it was on.

"The government has capitulated to the demands of the CBI and left workers vulnerable by not strengthening union recognition rights or protecting workers while they are on a legal strike," he said.

"This government needs to decide if they are the party for British workers and therefore stand up for worker's rights or they are the party for the fat cats and leave British workers susceptible to harassment and mistreatment in the workplace.''

Adding to Johnson's presentation problems was the verdict from bosses that the department had been right not to "cave in" to union pressure.

"It would be deeply damaging if ministers tore up an agreement that is currently working well," said a CBI spokesman.