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Trade unions

BIS is responsible for policy and legislation on trade unions including:

• trade union recognition and collective bargaining
• industrial action
• Statutory Redundancy Pay
• guarantee payments
• providing information and advice on trade unions and their policies

Trade union guidance

Guidance on trade unions in the workplace can be found on businesslink.gov.uk, for employers, and Directgov for employees or workers:

• businesslink.gov.uk guidance on employee representatives and trade unions 
• Directgov guidance on trade unions 

BIS guidance

• Code of practice: Access and unfair practices during recognition & derecognition ballots (786KB)
• Code of Practice: Industrial action ballots and notice to employers (186KB)
• Code of Practice: Picketing (140KB)
• Industrial action and the law: A guide for employees, trade union members and others
• Industrial action and the law - Guidance
• Industrial action and the law: Citizen's right to prevent disruption
• Payment of union subscriptions through the check off
• Trade union executive elections: a guide for trade unions, their members and others
• Trade union funds and accounting records - Guidance
• Trade union membership: rights of members and non-members
• Trade Union political funds: a guide for trade unions, their members and others
• Unjustifiable discipline by a trade union - Guidance

Review of workplace representatives facilities and facility time

The Government recognises the valuable role played by workplace representatives.  This review will assess whether representatives have sufficient access to facilities and facility time to enable them to carry out their functions efficiently and effectively, bearing in mind the needs and resources of modern workplaces.  It will also assess whether there is a need to clarify or simplify the relevant statutory rights governing facilities and facility time, and whether there is adequate practical guidance provided to help parties apply those entitlements at the workplace.

A formal three-month consultation started on 4 January 2007 and ended on 29 March 2007. The response document presents the final findings of the review, including the recommendations below. The existing regulatory framework is to be retained.

The recommendations include:

• the revision of the existing Code of Practice on Time Off for Trade Union Duties and Activities by the Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) to modernise the practical guidance it gives to managers and representatives
• resources permitting, a research project to evaluate the workplace impact of trade union education to be undertaken
• resources permitting, BIS to develop e-courses for non-union representatives and for the management of representatives by middle managers
• resources permitting, BIS to create a new portal to allow easy access to the existing Government guidance on workplace representation
• the publication of joint tripartite statements in support of modern union representatives and the benefits they bring.

The Government intends to implement these recommendations before the end of this Parliament. See related documents on this page for response document.

• Workplace Representatives: a review of their facilities and facility time

The Union Modernisation Fund

The purpose of the Union Modernisation Fund is to provide financial assistance to independent trade unions and their federations in support of innovative projects which speed unions' adaptation to a changing labour market and new ways of working. Click above for further information.

• Union Modernisation Fund