The UK government’s Employment Rights Bill is set to redefine the relationship between trade unions and employers. It promises the most significant upgrade to union rights in a generation – granting both physical and digital access to workplaces, streamlining recognition, and strengthening protections for representatives.
Key reforms include:
- New statutory rights for union officials to meet, recruit, and represent workers on-site and via digital platforms.
- Central Arbitration Committee enforcement if employers deny access.
- Simplified union recognition thresholds and new obligations for employers to inform workers of their union rights.
- Stronger safeguards for union reps, including paid time off and broader protections.
With union membership at a 50-year low (~22%), this Bill signals a deliberate effort to rebalance industrial relations and modernize representation for the digital era.
Employers should prepare now – reviewing access protocols, internal comms, and employee relations policies.
Is this the catalyst for a union resurgence in the UK private sector?
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