§ 114. Mr. Simon CoombsTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many representations he has received on changing the balloting rules to be followed by trade unions before industrial action; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NichollsThe statutory requirements which must be satisfied if a trade union organising industrial action is to protect itself against legal action by an employer, customer or supplier, or by a member, are set out in part II of the Trade Union Act 1984 as amended by the Employment Act 1988, and in section 1 of the Employment Act 1988. There have been a number of representations, in a variety of forms, about changes to these requirements.
A draft statutory code of practice to promote desirable practices in relation to the conduct by trade unions of ballots on industrial action was published last November. The consultation period on the draft code continues until 3 February. Some representations received on the draft code have also included suggestions for further changes to the relevant primary legislation.