Industrial action / strikes
Industrial action will be lawful only if the trade union has complied with various statutory requirements, including those relating to balloting members and notifying the employer of intended industrial action.
If a union fails to comply with the relevant statutory requirements, the industrial action will be unlawful. This will give the employer grounds to apply for an injunction to stop the proposed industrial action.
Strikes reach lowest level since records began
The number of labour strikes reached an all-time low last year, along with the number of workers involved in disputes,...
Acas conciliators strike over workload concerns
Staff at conciliation service Acas are striking today (11 May) over concerns about their workloads, following the decision to abolish...
University cleaners to strike against outsourcing
University cleaners, porters and receptionists are expected to walk out next month after a near unanimous vote in favour of...
McDonald’s to increase pay following strike
McDonald’s is to award a pay increase to its staff after they staged the first UK strike in the company’s...
Thomas Cook case reveals what unions must tell employers about industrial action plans
What does a union have to tell its members and the employer about planned industrial action? Nick Chronias explains.
When...
Private sector strike days jump 80%
The number of working days lost to strike action in the private sector has increased by 80% in a year,...
Royal Mail wins injunction to stop 48-hour strike
Royal Mail has won a High Court injunction preventing next week’s planned 48-hour strike by postal workers.
The proposed strike,...
Will Ryanair become a ‘Southern Rail in the sky’?
Ryanair has angered staff and customers after disastrous errors with its pilot rota. The company could now risk unofficial industrial...
Will Trade Union Act minimise strikes in ‘important public services’?
The Trade Union Act introduced rules on balloting for industrial action in important public services that set the bar high...
No growth in Acas early conciliation notifications
The number of early conciliation notifications has levelled off according to Acas, which has published its 2016/17 annual report.
There...
What do the new picketing laws mean in practice for employers?
New picketing laws came into force in March designed to prevent trade unions adopting intimidating tactics during industrial action. Nick...
Labour manifesto 2017: what employers need to know
The Labour Party’s official manifesto has been released today and includes some of the most radical changes to employment legislation...
Trade Union Act 2016: employers should be aware of key changes
The Trade Union Act 2016 is now law, but will it prevent strikes like those in recent months by staff...
Trade union balloting rules take effect on 1 March
New Regulations confirm that the Trade Union Act 2016 rules on strike votes, picketing and union dues will take effect...
50 MPs call for tougher strike laws to end Southern Rail “misery”
Fifty Conservative MPs have demanded tougher strike laws be introduced to stop the “widespread misery” suffered by Southern Rail commuters...
