Consultation

Consultation by the government that closed 2 December sought views on:

• simplifying the amount of information unions are required to provide in industrial action notices;

• strengthening provisions to prevent unfair practices during the trade union recognition process;

• removing the 10-year ballot requirement on political funds;

• securing a mandate for negotiation and dispute resolution;

• extending the expiry of the strike mandate;

• reducing the industrial action notice period;

• updating the law on repudiation and prior call, which currently imposes onerous requirements on the union to disavow action that does not follow all the legal steps; and

• the enforcement mechanism for right of access.

The government says the Employment Rights Bill is the “first step” towards modernising trade union legislation and has promised further consultation after the bill comes into force on the statutory recognition process, access to unions at work and greater protection against intimidation, harassment, threats and blacklisting.