Paul Nowak, the new general secretary, has attacked the government’s proposed anti-strike law (see 3pm) as “wrong, unworkable, and almost certainly illegal”. In a statement he said:

This is an attack on the right to strike. It’s an attack on working people. And it’s an attack on one of our longstanding British liberties.

It means that when workers democratically vote to strike, they can be forced to work and sacked if they don’t. That’s wrong, unworkable, and almost certainly illegal.

The announcement offers nothing more to help with this year’s pay and the cost of living crisis.

The unions sound more open to the idea of taking part in talks with the government on next year’s pay settlement (see 3.40pm), although none of them seem to view it as a significant concession. They want to talk about this year’s pay offer, not next year’s.

Gary Smith, the GMB’s general secretary, said:

We are always ready to discuss our members’ pay but the government is refusing to talk about problems as they exist now, instead they want to kick the can down the road.

There are huge questions over the NHS pay review body, as ministers’ actions have consistently undermined its independence. The process needs real reform and our members need a much stronger commitment than we heard today.

Pat Cullen, the Royal College of Nursing general secretary, said she would accept the invitation to talks, but that they would not solve the current dispute. She said:

We will meet with ministers to see...

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