Laws which will give Wales tax-raising powers and repeal certain parts of the UK Trade Union Act have been granted Royal Assent.
The Landfill Disposals Tax (Wales) Act will see one of the first Welsh taxes in almost 800 years introduced when the current landfill tax is devolved to Wales in April next year.
It is the final of three Acts to establish tax arrangements in Wales.
First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones said: “Landfill disposals tax and land transaction tax will be the first Welsh taxes for almost 800 years. Wales is at the forefront of waste policy and landfill disposals tax is an important element in achieving our ambitious goal of a zero-waste Wales.”
The Act was given Royal Assent, the final stage when a bill becomes actual law, on Thursday, September 7.
Also being granted Royal Assent that day was the Trade Union (Wales) Act.
When enacted, the Welsh Government’s Trade Union Act will dis-apply parts of the 2016 UK Government Act that relate to devolved public services – namely, the NHS, education, local government and the fire service which are all the responsibility of the National Assembly for Wales.
The UK Government had previously questioned whether the Trade Union (Wales) Bill was within the National Assembly for Wales’ legislative competence, but the Attorney General has since decided not to refer the question of competence to the Supreme Court.
The Trade Union (Wales) Act dis-applies aspects of new UK Government legislation that impose an overall support threshold of 40% on strike ballots, includes provisions on trade union facility time and conditions on payroll deductions for trade union membership – commonly known as check-off.
The Act will also protect the position where agency workers are prevented from covering the work of public sector employees during industrial action, in the event the UK Government acts to remove that protection.
Wales TUC General Secretary, Martin Mansfield said: “The UK Government’s anti-union law was an attack on our ability to work together for solutions that prevent major disputes in the Welsh public sector.
“At the same time, they have consistently attempted to undermine the devolution settlement brought about by two referendum votes in Wales.”