At the heart of the government’s agenda is a commitment to strengthening collective representation in the workplace. This doesn’t automatically mean more union recognition, but it does mean more meaningful engagement between employers and employee groups.
This bold policy shift comes at a time when trade union membership in the private sector has been in long-term decline, with previous governments enacting increasing restrictions on unions’ ability to represent their members’ interests. For unions, therefore, this is an inflection point: if they do not take advantage of the new direction of travel, seeking new members and greater recognition, then they are likely to become increasingly marginalised. With a government now actively encouraging greater union presence, the opportunity for revitalisation of the union movement is real, and unions are likely to seize it.
In addition to making strike action easier to call, the most significant proposed change is a new right for trade unions to access employees they do not currently represent. The operation of this right is still subject to consultation, but it could take the form of:
Alongside this, the government will make it easier for unions to gain formal recognition, lowering balloting thresholds and potentially reducing how many employees must make a request before it must be considered. Together, these changes create a...
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