Chapter 4
4. Unions and collective agreements
[ch 4: page 41]In the UK, collective agreements are not legally binding between the parties to that agreement — the union and the employer (section 179, Trade Union and Labour Relations Consolidation Act 1992). Instead, they are binding “in honour” and backed up voluntarily by good employment relations and the implicit threat of collective industrial action. Only collective terms that have been incorporated into the individual employment contract are legally binding.