UK strikes laws must conform with international rules, says UN agency

Intervention by International Labour Organization hugely embarrassing' for government, says TUC

• Union leaders vow to carry on fight for better wages and working conditions

The UN's labour standards body has told the UK government it must make changes to highly controversial new strikes laws, which critics say threaten the fundamental rights of British workers.

The International Labour Organization (ILO), a UN agency, said the UK needed to ensure that existing and prospective legislation is in conformity" with international rules on freedom of association, and added that the government must seek technical assistance from the agency's experts.