This edition of the Labour and European Law Review examines the legal protections available to trade union members.Â
Rachel Halliday, a senior case handler based in the Thompsons Solicitors Manchester office, discusses the protections available to trade unionists against being victimised under UK law. She highlights the legal reasons why a trade union member cannot be dismissed or refused work simply due to their trade union membership, as well as the protections surrounding trade union activities in the workplace.
Neil Todd, a member of Thompsons’ Trade Union Law Group, and also based in Manchester, explains the current law governing blacklisting and sets out some of the remedies available to trade unions. Mr Todd runs through the history of blacklisting trade union members across the 20th century and the legal tools available to the trade union movement to fight the practice.
Richard Arthur, the national coordinator for trade union strategy at Thompsons Solicitors, based in Bristol, considers the right of freedom of association under the European Convention on Human Rights. Article 11 of the Convention gives everyone the right to form or join a trade union. Mr Arthur looks at what this means in practice for trade unionists as well as the current Conservative government’s push to dismantle the right to strike.
Since Thompsons’ foundation in 1921, the firm has taken a central role in fighting alongside trade unions to protect and improve workplace safety standards and employment rights.
