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Joining a union and getting recognition for collective bargaining and agreements - legal rules about membership, union reps and your rights

• Joining a trade union

  A trade union is an organisation with members who are usually workers or…

• Trade union membership: your employment rights

  You have the right to: choose to join or not join a union decide to leave…

• Role of your trade union rep

  A trade union representative (‘rep’) is a union member who represents and…

• Union negotiations with your employer

  When an employer and a union agree to negotiate on pay, terms and…

Employer's responsibilities during the process of union recognition.

• Overview

  As an employer you may need to work with trade unions that represent…

• When the union requests recognition

  The union must ask you - the employer - in writing if you’ll agree to…

• When the union applies for statutory recognition

  The union can apply to the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) for…

• Establishing the bargaining unit

  The ‘bargaining unit’ is the group of employees that will be represented…

• Ballot on union recognition

  Your employees will be balloted about whether they want the union to be…

• Complaints about and from the union

  You can complain to the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) if the union…

• Ending negotiations

  You and the union will not need to continue negotiations if the union…

How to apply for a union to be derecognised when an employer or a worker wants union to stop negotiating

• Overview

  Trade unions can be recognised to represent groups of employees in a…

• Employers: reduced workforce

  As an employer, you can apply to the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC)…

• Employers: union loses support

  You can try to get a union derecognised if the workers in the bargaining…

• Employers: union membership is less than 50%

  If the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) declared recognition without a…

• Workers: union loses support

  You can apply to the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) for a secret…

• Workers: derecognise a non-independent union

  An employee or group of workers can apply to the Central Arbitration…

• Holding a derecognition ballot

  When employers, workers and the union have tried to reach agreement about…

• Complain about unfair practices

  Complain to the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) if you feel that…

• After the ballot

  You’ll usually find out the result of the vote 48 hours after the ballot…

Working effectively with trade unions; collective bargaining and agreements, informing and consulting, union subs, the check off, political funds, union reps

Rights to paid time off for union reps, shop stewards, health and safety or learning reps or other union officials

Strikes and industrial action - rights and responsibilities for employers, when unions can take action and the effect on employees' pay and working records

Certification Officer (CO) guidance on eligibility, the application process and application form CO1.

• Updated: 28 February 2024

Access and unfair practices during recognition and derecognition ballots

• Updated: 22 September 2020

Employment Appeal Tribunal Judgment of Judge Tayler, Professor Andrew Rowland and Mr Andrew Morris on 12 September 2024.

• Updated: 12 September 2024

Guidance from the Certification Officer (CO).

• Updated: 28 February 2024