What should collective redundancy consultation be about?

Collective redundancy consultation must be undertaken "with a view to reaching agreement" and must cover ways of avoiding the dismissals, reducing the numbers to be dismissed and mitigating the consequences of the dismissals (s.188(2) of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1992).

Consultation on ways of avoiding the dismissals includes a duty to consult on the business reasons for the proposed redundancies. The employer is not, however, obliged to adopt all or any of the proposals put forward by the employee representatives.