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Labor and employee relations - the law and best practice for maintaining constructive relations

Who should attend

This Labor and employee relations course is designed for experienced HR professionals and in-house lawyers (working in unionised environments in the private or public sectors) who may not have worked with unions recently or who have not had responsibility for ER.

Synopsis

Many senior managers lack experience of working with unions and employee representatives. This course is designed to address this need in a virtual format, providing a chance to learn from specialist labour lawyers with extensive practical experience of dealing with industrial relations issues both in the public and private sector.

We cover the labour law framework and explain how it really works in practice, including the management of collective workplace information and consultation. We also cover current union campaigns, industrial action and tactics used.

Programme

Please note that the course programme will run over two days (2 x 3 hour sessions). Day 1 will take place on 14 January and Day 2 will take place on 15 January 2021.

Day One

09.30 start; 12:30 close

The current employee relations environment

  • recent trends in industrial action
  • politics and ER
  • international dimensions including the ILO and UN
  • public expectations of employers and working conditions
  • recent trends: new tactics and campaigns

Key players

  • trade unions’ aims, purpose, membership, challenges
  • the most influential unions and their approach
  • international union federations, CAC, the Certification Officer, Acas, TUC and other players

Collective agreements – the legal framework

  • what are they and why does it matter?
  • scope, enforceability and drafting considerations
  • the range of agreements – formal and informal
  • the right to information for collective bargaining purposes

Trade union recognition - with case study

Information and consultation

  • Setting the context: EU duties
  • UK law: collective redundancies, TUPE and contract change, pensions and health and safety
  • s145B TULRCA
  • European works councils

Day Two

09.30 start; 12:30 close

Trade unions and individual rights

  • protection from inducements, dismissal and detriments
  • time off rights:
    • for duties and activities
    • for training and union learning reps
  • blacklisting

Case study on industrial action

  • strikes and action short of a strike
  • balloting rules: what the union has to do
  • sanctions against the employee
  • facing the union, including injunctions
  • use of agency workers
  • blacklisting
  • new tactics of protest
  • industrial action: practical matters.

Reputation management

  • business, human rights and trade unions
  • leverage and protest
  • current issues, eg human rights

New ER models and new union deals

  • new for the UK – but used abroad
  • shared rights and responsibilities
  • communication channels

Cost: £449

All prices are exclusive of VAT

Group discount:

10% discount for delegate 2 and subsequent delegates.

Select a date

14/01/2021 - 15/01/2021
Virtual session
09:30 - 12:30 (Local time)
Book this course

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