Trade Unions, Industrial Action & Employee Relations - The Key Issues

Introduction

There has never been a more important time to understand trade unions. Not only has there been an increase in high profile, and disruptive, industrial action in recent times, we are also going to see significant changes given the new Labour government.

In their document, ‘Delivering a New Deal for Working People’, the Labour government listed a number of proposed changes to trade union legislation. The King’s Speech on 17 July 2024 introduced the Employment Rights Bill, which will contain changes to legislation relating to trade unions and industrial action.

The Labour government have said that they will repeal the Trade Union Act 2016, the Minimum Service Levels (Strikes) Act 2023 and the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses (Amendment) Regulations 2022. What does this mean in reality? What additional changes are going to be introduced?

In this seminar we will explore the current law relating to trade unions, and the changes that are going to come.

What You Will Learn

This course will cover the following:

• Change afoot
• The contents of the legislation that is going to be repealed - what will be changing?
• Additional changes planned in the Labour government’s proposals
• The timing of the changes
• Trade Unions
• The definition of a trade union
• The difference between an independent and dependent trade union
• Trade Union Representatives
• The legal protection
• Safety representatives
• Learning representatives
• Time off for duties
• Trade Union Recognition
• Statutory and non-statutory recognition
• Derecognition
• Industrial Action
• Lawful and unlawful action
• Defining a trade dispute
• The ballot process
• Picketing
• Skills required
• Negotiation
• Active listening
• Communication