Industrial action

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Industrial action is integral to the collective bargaining process. It can be initiated by employers (in the form of a lockout), or by workers through their union, usually in the form of a strike. Industrial action, or the threat of industrial action, is part of the leverage that one side exercises on the other in the negotiation to secure a deal. In this context, it is a mechanism for resolving disputes of interest.

Industrial action is also used to resolve disputes of right.

It often represents the final stage of an industrial dispute between an employer and workers where other measures have failed in securing agreement to a collective trade dispute.

The Employment Rights Act 2025 (ERA 2025) introduces a host of changes to the law governing industrial action. The changes take effect on a phased basis, beginning from the date the Act received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025. For further information, see: Employment Rights Act 2025—tracker.

A strike is defined in section 246 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (TULR(C)A 1992) as any concerted stoppage of work.

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