Trade unions and trade union recognition

New and updated

• Type:

  How to

  How to avoid a dispute escalating into industrial action

  Updated to reflect the removal of the 12-week period for automatic protection from unfair dismissal for taking part in industrial action. Under Employment Rights Act 2025 provisions in force from 18 February 2026, relevant dismissals will be automatically unfair no matter how long a strike lasts. 

• Type:

  How to

  How to deal with time off for trade union representatives

  Updated to reflect that public-sector employers no longer have to publish facility time, under changes brought in by the Equality Act 2025 from 18 February 2026; and that employers will have a duty to provide facilities to union representatives and time off for union equality representatives in measures expected to come into force in October 2026. 

• Type:

  Legal timetable

  Strengthening of blacklisting protections

  The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces measures to extend and strengthen blacklisting protections.

• Type:

  Employment law guide

  Trade union recognition: derecognition process

  Updated to reflect the Government's revised Employment Rights Act 2025 timeline for the introduction of strengthened controls on unfair practices in the trade union recognition process (expected in October 2026) and electronic balloting for union recognition (expected in 2027).

• Type:

  Employment law guide

  Trade union recognition: recognition process

  Updated to reflect the Government's revised Employment Rights Act 2025 timeline for the introduction of strengthened controls on unfair practices in the trade union recognition process (expected in October 2026) and electronic balloting for union recognition (expected in 2027).

• Type:

  Employment law guide

  Industrial action: balloting and notice of industrial action

  Updated to reflect the Government's revised Employment Rights Act 2025 timeline for the introduction of electronic and workplace balloting for industrial action, with implementation expected in August 2026.

• Type:

  Employment law guide

  Time off work

  Updated with reference to Acas’s code of practice consultation on time off for trade union duties and activities.

• Type:

  Legal timetable

  Reform of trade union laws - phase three

  Updated to reflect the Government's timeline update for the Employment Rights Act 2025, published 3 February 2026.

• Type:

  Legal timetable

  Reform of trade union laws - phase two

  Updated to reflect the Government's timeline update for the Employment Rights Act 2025, published 3 February 2026.

• Type:

  Legal timetable

  Electronic balloting for union recognition

  The Government proposes to allow the use of electronic balloting (rather than only postal or workplace balloting) for trade union recognition and derecognition ballots.