Union status and obligations

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Both workers and employers may form groupings that could generally be described as ‘unions’. In the case of employers these are usually called employers’ associations. Workers also form groupings for the support and advancement of their members’ interests, which are usually called trade unions.

The law relating to trade unions is largely governed by extensive statutory provisions, such as those found in the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, give a broad definition of ‘trade union’, set out trade unions’ status and capacity, and impose various statutory obligations on them.

Union status and capacity

A trade union is defined as an organisation, whether temporary or permanent:

  1. •

    which either fulfils two conditions:

    1. ◦

      it consists wholly or mainly of workers of one or more descriptions

    2. ◦

      its principal purposes include the regulation of relations between workers of that description or those descriptions and employers or employers’ associations

  2. •

    or:

    1. ◦

      which consists wholly or mainly of:

      1. ‣

        constituent or affiliated organisations which fulfil the two conditions set out above (or themselves consist wholly or mainly of constituent or affiliated organisations which fulfil...

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