Individual and Trade Union Rights - Employment Relations Act 1999

The Employment Relations Act became law on 27 July 1999.

By shifting the balance of legal rights at the workplace, the Act is the most significant legislative advance for working people and their trade unions in more than two decades.

This leaflet is intended to summarise the main provisions of the Act on trade unions and individual rights. There are separate Thompsons' leaflets on union recognition and family friendly rights

Most of the provisions of the Act are now in force. There are some exceptions. There are also some provisions which give the government power to make regulations, where the regulations have not yet been made.

Where provisions have been brought into force, this is highlighted in the text below.

Contents

Trade Unions and Individual Rights
Detriment and trade union membership
Detriment and collective bargaining
Detriment and recognition
Blacklists

Trade Unions, members and Industrial Action
Support of ballot
Notices relating to industrial action
Voting paper
Industrial action ballots: periods of effectiveness
Separate workplace ballots
Industrial action and unfair dismissal

Training
Information and consultation on training

Individual Rights
Rights to be accompanied on disciplinary and grievance hearings
Fixed term contracts
Extending employment rights
Unfair dismissal: qualifying period and compensation
Employment outside Britain
National security
School staff
Transfers of undertaking

Part- Time Workers
The Part-Time Workers Directive

Other Provisions