Seven trade bodies, including the CIPD, have written to the employment rights minister calling for new tripartite talks
1 May 2026
Business groups have warned that proposed reforms to trade union access rights under the Employment Rights Act could lead to “significant disruption”, calling on the government to reopen talks after being excluded from earlier discussions.
In a joint letter to employment minister Kate Dearden, seven organisations, including the CIPD, the Confederation of British Industry, the British Chambers of Commerce and the Recruitment & Employment Confederation, said the lack of structured engagement with business had led to proposals that failed to take employer concerns into account.
“We believe the lack of structured dialogue on right of access has resulted in an outcome which fails to address businesses’ fundamental concerns over significant disruption from increased access rights and does not move us towards a constructive approach to industrial relations,” the letter said.
Trade union reforms: changes to be aware of
Employment law changes to expect in 2026
The reforms, due to come into force in October 2026, will grant unions a statutory right to access workplaces, both physically and digitally, to recruit, organise and represent workers, with non-compliant employers facing Central Arbitration Committee intervention and fines of up to 150,000.
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