The Government has launched two consultations about trade union provisions within the Employment Rights Bill. 

The first concerns the proposed new duty on employers to provide workers with a written statement informing them of their right to join a trade union. The consultation seeks views on the content and form of such a statement, as well has how it should be delivered and how frequently it should be reissued after the beginning of employment.  

In terms of its form and content, the consultation proposes that a standardised statement should be provided by the Government (rather than something prepared by employers themselves) which would set out matters such as the functions of a trade union, a summary of the statutory rights in relation to trade union membership, and a list of all the trade unions that the employer recognises. As for the manner of delivery, the preference is for the statement to be delivered directly to new workers rather than posted on an intranet or notice board, so as to ensure that they are aware of it. More indirect methods are deemed appropriate for existing workers, although the consultation nonetheless proposes that the statement be provided directly to existing workers every year. 

The consultation closes on 18 December 2025 and can be read in full here. 

The second consultation concerns the right of trade unions to access workplaces. As the consultation explains, unions do not currently enjoy a general independent right of access to workplaces. Instead, access depends on ad hoc arrangements which largely involve the union reaching a voluntary agreement with an employer, or otherwise acting through individual members. The Employment Rights Bill seeks to change this by introducing a statutory right for unions to access workplaces physically, and to communicate with workers both online and in person.    

The Bill envisages a step-by-step procedure for the new right of access: first, a union provides the employer with a request for access; if access is agreed, the employer and union notify the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) that access arrangements have been agreed; if no agreement is reached, the parties enter a negotiation period (proposed to be 15 working days) after which, if agreement still proves impossible, either party can refer the case to the CAC for a determination on whether access should take place.  

The consultation seeks views on the operation of this procedure, addressing practical matters such as the form and manner of access requests from unions, the factors that the CAC should take into account when considering whether to grant access, and how the CAC should assess penalty fines for non-compliance with access agreements. 

The consultation closes on 18 December 2025 and can be read in full here.