Unions make work better.

But too often, unions are locked out of the workplace – with workers unable to experience the benefits and support that a union can bring.

That’s why the Trade Union Right of Access in the Employment Rights Act has the opportunity to be a game-changer: helping unions grow, increasing collective bargaining coverage, and improving wages and conditions for more workers.

Good employers know the benefits of a union in the workplace – but anti-union employers with deep pockets will push back hard against union access, so unions and workers need strong protections to make sure the new right delivers.

Add your name to back the Trade Union Right of Access:

 

We are calling for:

Deterrent fines for employers who block access

Fines should serve as a sufficient deterrent to stop union-busting employers choosing to ‘pay the fine’ rather than allow unions access. The Government are proposing that fines for employers who block unions from meeting workers are capped at just £75,000 – this is far too low. This is pocket change for union-busting employers like Amazon, who spent $14.2 million on anti-union consultants in the US alone in 2022.

The maximum fines for employers deliberately frustrating the Trade Union Right of Access should be based on a percentage of global turnover, like the government’s recently announced 10% of global turnover fine for ticket touting websites.

Getting the details right in model access agreements

The Government must include safeguards in model access agreements to make sure that the Right of Access works in practice.

  • Meetings with unions should take in the place where workers work or where they usually take their breaks.
  • There should be protection against surveillance of workers meeting with unions, and protection against detriment.
  • Access should be at least weekly.

No exemptions to the Right

The Government have suggested that employers with fewer than 21 workers should be exempt from the Right of Access.

An exemption for small employers would exclude lots of workplaces, including childcare, care homes, dentistry, GP surgeries and hospitality. 12,500 social care employers, covering over 66% of social care organisations, have fewer than 21 employees. Excluding these smaller employers in social care could damage and undercut the forthcoming Fair Pay Agreement by denying trade union engagement with a large and important part of the workforce.