Unions have warned that proposed plans to make strikes illegal unless they are voted on by at least half of members will leave workers with “about as much power as Oliver Twist", according to the head of the TUC.

The Conservative party has plans to stop “militant” union leaders imposing strikes without the backing of the majority of members.

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady called the plans "anti-democratic".

Ms O'Grady said: "The Conservative Party is not just proposing a few more bureaucratic obstacles that will make life a bit more difficult for trade unions... they would effectively ban strikes by the back door."