On Wednesday, RMT trade unionists gathered outside parliament to demand the scrapping of the new financial thresholds for Skilled Workers’ Visas for overseas workers, reports Pete Webster

Alarm bells should be ringing across the trade-union movement. The changes due to come into force on 8 November signal a ramping up of institutional racism. Many who become disqualified will face arrest, detention and deportation. The impact, like all immigration-related legislation, is deeply racist with the overwhelming number of people being affected coming from a non-white background.

In July this year, an amendment to the Immigration Act (1971) means that the minimum salary requirements have risen significantly and will be in effect in early November. Starmer’s government used a statutory instrument to make the amendment: this meant there was no debate nor any consultation with unions or others.

For example, a General Skilled Worker Visa sees an 8% increase from £38,700 gross income to £41,700 and no transition period. According to the Office for National Statistics, the average UK annual salary in 2024 was approximately £34,900, meaning many roles currently filled by workers with visas will now fall below the new sponsorship bar. Similar draconian measures apply to other application routes including a massive increase for overseas students who will need to find employment with a minimum salary of £33,400 to qualify and within a shortened time frame. Alongside the visa hikes, there are also changes to families applying to join an employed partner here with more stringent English-language tests effectively keeping families divided.

The adult social care, hospitality and logistic sectors also face sweeping changes as these measures are designed to remove migrants from the workforce to bolster the number of UK workers in these areas. The real problem here is the appallingly low wages and conditions in these industries. This is why migrants were the employers’ go-to option, and an enthusiastic response from domestic workers is unlikely.

More than 200 RMT members are at threat. RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey said: ‘Our members joined the rail industry in good faith, with the clear understanding they could build their futures here. The government’s sudden rule changes have torn that up, putting dedicated transport staff at risk of losing their jobs and creating unnecessary gaps in the workforce. This is no way to treat loyal workers who keep our railways running. We need these changes to be paused so the government can work with unions on finding a fair solution.’ Martin Cavanagh, PCS President, said that there are two thousand DWP staff who will be impacted upon by the changes, with many thousands more across all other departments.

A number of MPs joined the lobbyists. Richard Burgon said that these measures were, ‘deeply immoral, deeply sick, deeply twisted and deeply wrong. Anti-racism is a true union issue. Anti-racism is a working-class issue.’ He continued that the reason Starmer has introduced this racist policy is in order to chase the tail of Nigel Farage and Reform.

John McDonnell said that the changes would result in Border and Immigration Force officers carrying out Trumpian Ice-style raids on individuals at home and in the workplace as people are hunted down and snatched from family, workmates and friends.

A pause in the implementation would be a good start but the trade-union movement as a whole must recognise the threat to all their members as this is part of a wider class war the boss class are waging against workers.

That will require more than organising lobbies of MPs in the hope of convincing them of their errors. We need to see our leaders in the trade unions – and the soon to be Your Party – coordinate organised resistance against these attacks including walkouts when workmates are under threat.