STRIKE action in Britain was at an all time low last year, with 33,000 workers involved in disputes.

The Office for National Statistics said the 79 separate stoppages were the lowest number since records began in 1891.

TUC senior employment rights officer Hannah Reed said: “Strikes are always a last resort for union members, but it’s clear that many workers are fed up of years of paltry pay rises.

“As high-profile action at companies like McDonald’s have shown, unions will always stand up to bad employers.

“The right to strike is a fundamental liberty. That’s why the government’s draconian Trade Union Act must be repealed, as it restricts workers’ ability to defend their jobs, pay and working conditions."

Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union leader Ronnie Draper said he believes more progressive industrial relations are responsible for the decline rather than the Act, and said claiming otherwise would mean companies and the government would have “achieved their desired effect.”

“The Act doesn’t help and should be repealed. It is an obstacle in achieving thresholds but it has never stopped us from taking action,” he told the Morning Star.

Mr Draper said that actions such as the McDonald’s strike can inspire confidence in others.

“People who say striking doesn’t work should look at the advantages gained in this instance,” he added.

“Workers have received the biggest pay rise in generations, fixed-hour contracts and will be notified of shift changes all down to the fact that great people across the country took strike action.”