Trade unions & staff consultation

Our clients include major corporates in the retail, leisure and financial services sectors, public bodies and educational establishments.

We advise on the drafting and interpretation of recognition and collective agreements and industrial action procedures. We advise on applications for statutory recognition, and under the Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations. Our team also has experience dealing with collective disputes, from injunctions to class actions, in the employment tribunal.

We understand the importance of maintaining a constructive relationship with staff and unions and help clients to achieve this as a priority. Our practical experience in this area of employment relations, which relatively few law firms can offer, puts us in a great position to help.

Experience

• Advised on trade union negotiation when facing an application for recognition and collective bargaining implications for their staff. This involved technically complex advice on the statutory scheme for recognition.
• Acting for an energy and services group to defend holiday pay claims in the UK. As our client is a unionised business, the cases have the potential to significantly impact their business model and so are highly sensitive.
• Advised a FTSE100 Fast Moving Consumer Goods company on their relationship with their trade unions, particularly the renegotiation of their union recognition agreement. This related to modernising their work place and reflecting the transition of their UK work force from being principally engaged in manufacturing to being largely focussed on sales.