WORKPLACE REPRESENTATION IN THE UK

Workplace Representation in the UK

Workplace Representation in the UK

Introduction

There is a common structure for the representation of workers in the UK and in many workplaces does not exist. Unions are the most common way that employees are represented, and can now legally force the employer to deal with them, but only if they have enough support. Most non-unionized workplaces have no representation of workers, and the regulations implementing the European directive on information and consultation is going to change this situation. (Card, 1995)

Representation in the workplace in the UK

There is no formal legal mechanism to establish the current representation of the workplaces in the UK. Unlike some EU countries there is no structure works councils elected by all employees, and there is no legislation or legally binding collective agreements which give sweeping powers to the local unions to represent all employees.

This means that the structure and the influence of employee representation in the workplace is very different, despite the EU legislation requires employers to consult employee representatives in a number of issues. The situation was not changed by law, the implementation of EU Directive information and consultation, which entered into force for organizations with more than 150 employees in April 2005, with more than 100 in April 2007 and over 50 in April 2008 and which does not provide a structure for employee representation (Namita, 2007).

A key difference is in the workplace where employees are represented by unions and those in which there is currently no European Union. The official 2004 survey of industrial relations in the workplace (WERS 2004) found that 30% of companies with 10 or more employees, representing 50% of all employees were covered by "the union recognition "- in other words, the employer had agreed to deal with the union that leaves 70% of workplaces without union recognition, but the survey found that overall, only 5% of workplaces were represented.. The absence of a union is. [1] Actually, the choice is often between being represented by a union and not be represented at all.

The key representation is union recognition by employers. This means that the employer has undertaken to consult or negotiate with the union or unions on issues affecting the workforce. (This usually means that the employer bargain with the union on wages and conditions, but there are some cases where unions are recognized by the employer to individual complaints and disciplinary cases.) Moreover, if the union is recognized, have certain rights (see below).

A law passed in 1999 provides for the first time a legal mechanism to compel employers to recognize unions. Unions must demonstrate to an independent body, the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) that most workers in a "bargaining unit" which can be a place of work, many workplaces, or part of a site work they want a union to represent them. They can do this by showing that more than half of workers are unionized, and gain the support of recognition of the majority of workers in a vote, ...