Trade unions
A trade union is an association of workers in a particular industry or sector, designed to protect the rights, interests and working conditions of employees. Large trade unions in the UK include the TUC, Unite, Unison, the GMB and Usdaw.
Trade unions can receive recognition, or employers can derecognise trade unions. Employment laws protecting employees taking industrial action, such as taking part in strikes or picketing, are contained in the Employment Rights Act 1996 and Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.
NHS pay deal of 6.5-29% to be offered without holiday loss
More than a million nurses and other NHS staff in England will be offered a three-year pay deal worth between...
Union ‘first’ to be recognised by gig economy company
The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) has claimed it is the first union in the UK to be...
Corbyn puts jobs and skills at heart of new Labour Brexit policy
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has shifted the party’s stance on Brexit, spelling out how a Government under him would ensure...
Personnel Today turns 30: Highlights from our first issue
Did you work in human resources in the 1980s? Or perhaps you worked in personnel? We mark the 30th anniversary...
Amazon drivers’ false self-employment dispute settled
A courier company that delivers parcels for Amazon has settled a dispute with drivers that the GMB union claimed were...
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...
What you might have missed: Christmas and New Year round-up
The first day back at work for many is an inevitable struggle after a much-deserved break over Christmas. But what...
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,...
TUC calls for overhaul of minimum wage rates
The TUC is calling on the Government to raise the national living wage to £10 “as quickly as possible” and...
Closing a pension scheme to accrual: considerations for employers
British Airways recently announced proposals to close its New Airways Pension Scheme (NAPS) due to a “significant and growing funding...
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 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...
Five tribunal claims that will increase in post-fees era
Following last month’s decision of the Supreme Court declaring that employment tribunal fees were unlawful, the number of tribunal claims...
Good work or bad? Reaction to the Taylor Review
Any much-anticipated report is likely to divide opinion, and the Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices is no different. Rob...
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...
