New trade union laws 1 March 2017

1 March 2017 is start date for significant trade union law changes

The headline changes in the Trade Union Act 2016 will come into force on 1 March 2017. These cover tougher thresholds for ballots (particularly for important public services), a time limit on a ballot’s mandate for industrial action, and a doubling of the notice of action that employers must receive (to 14 days). Also coming into force on that date are the new rules on picketing. As expected, the amended rules on union members paying the political levy (the opt-in notice) will be delayed for 12 months until 1 March 2018. The changes also include enabling government ministers now to make regulations imposing requirements on public sector employers (and some in the private sector) to publish information on, and potentially cap, so-called ‘facility time’, such as the amount spent on paid time off for union duties and activities.

For the relevant implementing statutory instrument, see http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2017/139/contents/made