'No surprises' employment relations Bill unveiled

A Bill that would encourage employers and employees to work together and promote a "no surprises culture" at work was introduced in the House of Commons today.

Employment Relations Minister Gerry Sutcliffe also confirmed that the Bill will be amended to allow unions to expel or exclude racist activists and others whose political behaviour is incompatible with trade union membership.

The Bill, announced in the Queen's Speech last week, is the result of an evidence-based review of the Employment Relations Act 1999, which ends today with the publication of the government's conclusions.

The Bill would also implement the TUC/CBI framework agreement on Information and Consultation, giving employees the chance to be informed and consulted on management decisions affecting their future, including: employment prospects; changes in work organisation or contractual relations, including redundancies and transfers; and economic prospects for their industry.

It would also improve the process whereby unions can gain recognition from employers and enter into collective agreements, where the majority of the workforce wants to.

Mr Sutcliffe said: "I want to see an end to the climate where people only hear out of the blue about job losses from the media, or by text message. I want to see a 'no surprises' culture at work where employers and employees discuss common ground and find solutions to mutual problems.

"It's wrong that racists should be allowed to hide behind their political party membership to prevent unions from expelling them. So we will amend the Bill to allow unions to expel or exclude those whose political activities constitute offensive conduct."

The Bill would also seek to strengthen the rights of trade union members and enable unions to be better regulated.

It would also improve the protections against dismissal of workers who take lawfully organised strike action by exempting lock-out days from the eight week unfair dismissal protected period.

(gmcg)