Collective labor, trade unions and industrial relations - UK law and best practice

Who should attend

This course is aimed at delegates new to industrial relations (IR), as well as delegates with more experience including those working in unionised environments. This is achieved by offering a flexible combination of in-person and modular training.

Synopsis

The training will not just look at the law, but also how to deal with ‘real life’ issues. Whether unionised or not, collective labor and employee relations are an important part of many organisations, in both the private and public sectors, with engaged employees underpinning a productive and positive workplace.

As worker disputes and conflict increases, reflecting a challenging economic environment, collective and trade union activity is becoming more widespread, and organisations in sectors that traditionally experienced low levels of unionisation are more frequently being served with applications for statutory trade union recognition. Therefore, industrial relations knowledge and skills are needed now more than ever by HR professionals and in-house legal, no matter what sector they are in. Combined with recent changes to trade union legislation and case law, it is important to understand how this applies to your organisation. This training is delivered by a dedicated team of labor lawyers with extensive practical experience of dealing with industrial relations / trade union issues both in the public and private sector.

Pricing

The package price if you purchase the full day in-person foundation course, half day in-person module and all 3 E-modules is £995 +VAT . However, you can choose just to book onto just those elements of the course that are of interest to you on a 'pick and mix' basis, if you wish . If you select to purchase certain courses/modules separately, then the separate prices listed in the table below will apply. Purchasing the package price gives you a substantial discount compared to purchasing the courses/modules separately.

The Foundation full-day course

This in-person training course will provide you with a broad introduction to collective labor and industrial relations and is suitable for those who are new to employee/industrial relations or looking to build their collective labor knowledge. The course takes place in our London and Manchester offices – please contact us at employmenttraining@eversheds-sutherland.com if dates are not yet available in either location.

The half day negotiation course and the E-modules

Effective negotiations - In-person

This half day module will take place in-person in our Manchester office. Please check the table below under module 3 for the course details.

The E-modules

There are a number of virtual, bite-sized modules focusing on a specialist labor topic and these are suitable for those who have attended the in-person full-day foundation course above or for those with experience of industrial relations, collective employment issues and/or working with trade unions. As well as being digital, providing ease of access to delegates, each module is delivered live to facilitate discussion and your questions.

For further information, see the outline programmes below.

Full-day, in-person Foundation training course - £499 + VAT 23 November 2023, Eversheds Sutherland, Manchester Office
9.30 start
The current industrial relations environment Who are the key industrial relations organisations (Acas, Central Arbitration Committee, Certification Officer and more)? Trade unions: their aims, challenges and current trends Hot employee/industrial relations topics and recent developments Devolution: Northern Ireland labor law International dimensions		The programme will include case studies, trainer-led discussion and other forms of interaction to support delegate learning
Collective agreements and bargaining Collective bargaining: definition and negotiating rights Collective agreements: definition, typical content, legal enforceability, incorporation into employee contracts, employer disclosure duties Why recognition is important
Trade unions: individual and collective labor rights Rights whether or not a union is recognised Rights when a union is recognised Individual protections – inducements, detriment, recruitment, dismissal, blacklisting Time-off rights (for duties, activities, training and more) Collective rights (TUPE, redundancies – in summary)
Industrial action and disputes – an introduction The basic legal principles Ballot and notice requirements Picketing and secondary action Employer responses Other forms of protest
16.30 finish

E-module 1
£240 +VAT
27 November 2023
9.30-11.30 GMT

E-module 2
£240 +VAT
1 December 2023
9.30-11.30 GMT

In-person Module 3
£299 +VAT
5 December 2023
9.30-12.30 GMT

E-module 4
£240 +VAT
8 December 2023
9.30-11.30 GMT

Each live, online module lasts no longer than two hours

Half day, in-person module Eversheds Sutherland, Manchester office

Each live, online module lasts no longer than two hours

Employers’ collective information and consultation duties during:

Section 188 TULRCA and redundancies
Section 188 and changing terms and conditions
TUPE, health and safety, pensions
What, when, how, who: practical guidance

Responding to a trade union recognition drive, including:

Voluntary or statutory recognition
The statutory rules: law and practice
Alternatives to recognition

Effective negotiations:

In brief - what the law says about providing information and imposing changes to terms/conditions
Preparing for a union pay/conditions claim
Considering that claim and how to respond
Negotiation technique and communications strategy
Planning for the union to trigger the dispute procedure

A practical guide to the law and process for establishing and operating a successful European Works Council and UK information and consultation forum:

European Works Councils

Receiving a request
Choice of legal forum
Negotiation with Special Negotiating Body
Scope of information and consultation obligations
Post-agreement European Works Council obligations

Information and Consultation Arrangements

National legislation and requirements
Pre-existing agreements
Negotiating Information and Consultation Agreement
Minimum requirements and default
Establishing an effective voluntary information and consultation forum

Cost: £995

All prices are exclusive of VAT

Select a date

23/11/2023 - 08/12/2023
Manchester and virtual online
09:30 - 16:30 (Local time)

Eversheds Sutherland is the name and brand under which the members of Eversheds Sutherland Limited (Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP and Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP) and their respective controlled, managed and affiliated firms and the members of Eversheds Sutherland (Europe) Limited (each an "Eversheds Sutherland Entity" and together the "Eversheds Sutherland Entities") provide legal or other services to clients around the world. Eversheds Sutherland Entities are constituted and regulated in accordance with relevant local regulatory and legal requirements and operate in accordance with their locally registered names. The use of the name Eversheds Sutherland, is for description purposes only and does not imply that the Eversheds Sutherland Entities are in a partnership or are part of a global LLP. The responsibility for the provision of services to the client is defined in the terms of engagement between the instructed firm and the client.