Militant union boss Len McCluskey has warned that his activists will break the law if the Tories curb the right to strike after the election . In an extraordinary move , which was condemned by ministers , the Unite general-secretary said he was seeking to change the giant union ’ s constitution to authorise illegal action . Mr McCluskey , whose union has given Ed Miliband more than £14 million , said union members could not be expected to obey ‘ oppressive ’ laws that restrict the right to strike . Unite general-secretary Len McCluskey said he was seeking to change the giant union ’ s constitution to authorise illegal action . The Conservatives have said they will change the law to require unions to get the support of at least 40 per cent of their members before calling a strike . The initiative is designed to prevent union bosses ordering strikes on the basis of ballots in which only a tiny number of members have voted . Mr McCluskey said the right to strike was already ‘ hanging by a thread ’ as a result of union reforms carried out by the Coalition . In a move that suggests he has little confidence in a Labour victory , Mr McCluskey said Unite members would now be asked to vote to remove the words ‘ so far as may be lawful ’ from the rules governing the union 's actions . In a speech to lawyers , Mr Cluskey said : ‘ These words will go not because we are anarchists , not because we are suddenly planning a bank robbery - but because we have to ask ourselves the question , can we any longer make that commitment to , under any and all circumstances , stick within the law as it stands ? Mr McCluskey , whose union has given Ed Miliband more than £14 million . ‘ It is no exaggeration to say that the right to strike in this - the first country of free trade unionism - was and is hanging by a thread . ‘ But should there be a Conservative majority in May , there will be a new attack on trade union rights and democracy . ‘ The bar for a strike ballot will be raised to a level which hardly any MPs would get over in their own constituencies , by a government which has refused our requests to use modern , more effective balloting methods . ‘ When the law is misguided , when it oppresses the people and removes their freedoms , can we respect it ? I am not really posing the question . I 'm giving you the answer . It ai n't going to happen. ’ Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude condemned the move – and said it would raise further concerns Unite ’ s planned ‘ merger ’ with the PCS union . Mr Maude said : ‘ Labour 's biggest donor and Ed Miliband 's puppet master is now advocating that their membership break the law . Ed Miliband needs to immediately condemn this outrageous proposal and refuse to take a penny more from Unite until these plans are cancelled. ’ Tory MP Dominc Raab said it was ‘ shocking ’ for a union leader to call for illegal action – and called on Mr Miliband to disown the move . Mr Raab , who has campaigned for the introduction of minimum strike thresholds , said : ‘ Red Len has never managed to persuade even a quarter of Unite members to back even one of his reckless public sector strikes since 2010 , but it 's still shocking to hear him preparing to break the law . Ed Miliband has taken millions from this union bully since becoming Labour leader , so if he now fails to condemn this threat of illegal strikes , it will just show the public what a weak leader he is. ’ Unite activists will decide on the change of wording to the union 's rules at a conference later in the year . The Labour Party declined to comment .
Unite chief advocates change to worker 's rules to prevent illegal action . Mr worker 's union has given union Miliband more than £ 14 million . Tories want unions to get rid of at least 50 % of members for a strike .