Unions seek workplace access ahead of new employment rights law
Unions are contacting businesses to request access to workplaces ahead of new provisions in Labour’s Employment Rights Act taking effect on 30 October. The changes will allow union officials and shop stewards to enter offices and factories, prompting concerns among some business representatives about the effect on employers.
Employment lawyer Chris Coombes said several unions had already made voluntary access requests. A survey of almost 200 business leaders found 2 per cent were fully prepared for the rules, 48 per cent somewhat prepared and half not prepared at all. The Government’s impact assessment estimated the Act could cost businesses up to £5 billion a year; Shadow Chancellor Andrew Griffith criticised the changes, while the article also notes other union demands and policy changes since Labour took office in 2024.
In short
- New union workplace access rules start on 30 October.
- Some unions are already making voluntary access requests.
- Half of surveyed employers said they were unprepared.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Trade unions begin ‘bombarding’ firms with demands before Rayner’s new workers’ rights laws come into effect”.