Industrial relations masterclass

9.30 (BST)

Welcome and introductions

The current industrial relations environment

• key Employment Rights Act changes to industrial relations and the Government’s legislative priorities
• who are the key industrial relations organisations (Acas, Central Arbitration Committee, Certification Officer and more)?
• trade unions: their aims, challenges and current trends
• hot employee/industrial relations topics and recent developments

11.00

Comfort break

Trade unions: individual and collective labor rights

• rights whether or not a union is recognised
• rights when a union is recognised
• individual protections – inducements, detriment, recruitment, dismissal, blacklisting
• time-off rights (for duties, activities, training and more)
• collective rights (TUPE, redundancies - in summary)
• how will the Employment Rights Act’s changes impact individual and collective labor rights?

12.30

Lunch

Industrial action and disputes – an introduction

• the basic legal principles
• ballot and notice requirements
• picketing and secondary action
• employer responses – including key case law
• other forms of protest
• how will the Employment Rights Act’s changes impact industrial action?

14.45

Comfort break

Breakout Room 1

A focus on recognition and collective bargaining (aimed at delegates who anticipate a rise in recognition requests within their business)

Recognition and collective agreements

• responding to a trade union recognition drive, including voluntary and/or statutory recognition. This session will explain the statutory recognition requirements, provide practical examples and explain the changes that have been made to statutory tests by the ERA;
• provide practical insights in relation to the statutory recognition process, including a consideration of the role of the Central Arbitration Committee;
• collective bargaining: definition and negotiating rights; and
• collective agreements: definition, typical content, legal enforceability, incorporation into employee contracts, employer disclosure duties

Breakout Room 2

A focus on effective negotiations and trade unions (aimed at delegates who have existing recognition in place, or anticipate new collective relationships)

• in brief – what the law says about providing information and imposing changes to terms/conditions
• preparing for a union pay/conditions claim
• considering that claim and how to respond
• negotiation technique and communications strategy
• planning for the union to trigger the dispute procedure

Closing reflections

16.30 (BST)

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