A law has been passed to curb the effect strikes can have on some key services.
Royal Assent has been granted to the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act, deputy speaker Sir Roger Gale announced in the Commons.
The legislation faced strong opposition from unions and some opposition parties.
Labour has pledged to repeal the law if it gets into government.
It comes as hospital consultants go on strike across England, causing large-scale disruption to patient care, while a walkout by rail workers in a long-running dispute brought fresh travel chaos for train passengers.
The new law will allow ministers to impose minimum levels of service during industrial action by ambulance staff, firefighters, railway workers and those in other sectors deemed essential.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) general secretary Paul Nowak said: “The Conservatives are threatening to take a wrecking ball to our fundamental right to strike.
“No-one should be sacked for trying to win better pay and conditions at work – especially in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. But that is exactly what this draconian legislation will allow.
“These new laws will give ministers the power to snatch away the right to strike from a massive one in five workers – that’s 5.5 million people.
“Make no mistake, the TUC will fight this pernicious legislation tooth and nail – exploring all options including legal routes.
“We won’t stand by and let workers get sacked for defending their pay and conditions.”
Making clear his continued opposition in the House of Lords earlier in the day, Labour peer Lord Collins of Highbury said: “This is a skeletal Bill. An example of legislating and then determining policy and procedure. It’s really the wrong way round.”
He added: “I repeat the intention of a future Labour government to repeal this Act. Because it doesn’t have the support of workers’ representatives or employers.
“It’s impracticable and it will simply result in not achieving the objectives of the Bill as the Government set out, but worsening the situation in industrial relations.
“Even the Government’s own impact assessments have said it could possibly increase strikes.”
Liberal Democrat Lord Fox said: “From the outset this was a political Bill.”
Government minister Lord Callanan said: “This is in our view a vital piece of legislation that will give the public confidence that when workers strike, which they are of course fully entitled to do, that lives and livelihoods are not put at undue risk.”
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