Trade unions and trade union recognition

New and updated

• Date:

  3 July 2024

  Type:

  News

  General election: What the major parties are offering employers

  With the general election taking place on Thursday 4 July, workers will be heading to the polls to have their say on who should form the next government. If you are still undecided on who to vote for, here we round up the major political parties' policies on work-related matters, from skills policy to labour supply.

• Date:

  29 May 2024

  Type:

  Commentary and insights

  General election 2024: What might a Labour Government mean for employers?

  With a general election confirmed for 4 July 2024, we look at two key areas where Labour's employment law proposals, if implemented, would transform the face of employment law in the UK and have significant implications for employers.

• Type:

  Employment law cases

  Supreme Court rules that trade union detriment law breaches human rights

  In Secretary of State for Business and Trade v Mercer, the Supreme Court held that s.146 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (TULR(C)A) is incompatible with art.11 as it does not protect workers against detriment for participating in industrial action.

• Type:

  Employment law cases

  Deliveroo riders cannot rely on art.11 trade union rights, rules Supreme Court

  In Independent Workers Union of Great Britain v Central Arbitration Committee and another, the Supreme Court held that Deliveroo riders are not in an employment relationship and fall outside the scope of the trade union rights under art.11 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

• Type:

  Contract clauses

  Facilities and time off for trade union duties and activities agreement

  Updated to reflect the publication of draft regulations affecting check-off in the public sector, due to come into force on 9 May 2024.

• Type:

  Contract clauses

  Trade union recognition agreement

  Updated to reflect the publication of draft regulations affecting check-off in the public sector, due to come into force on 9 May 2024.

• Type:

  Legal timetable

  Reform to check off in the public sector

  The Trade Union (Deduction of Union Subscriptions from Wages in the Public Sector) Regulations 2023 provide for changes to the rules in relation to the check off process in the public sector.

• Type:

  Legal timetable

  Minimum service levels during strikes

  Updated to reflect that the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 has received Royal Assent.

• Type:

  FAQs

  Where employees take strike action, can their employer hire temporary staff to cover their work?

• Date:

  16 June 2023

  Type:

  Commentary and insights

  The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill: Controversial in theory, unworkable in practice

  The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill is the Government's response to the widespread industrial action recently seen across public services, including transport, schools and the NHS. But the legislation is fraught with problems - not least because it skips over the question of what a minimum service level actually is, says consultant editor Darren Newman.