Threatened By Trade Union Application For Recognition?

The Trade Union Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 ("the Act") provides a mechanism whereby an independent trade union can apply to the Central Arbitration Committee ("CAC"), provided that various conditions are satisfied, and force an employer to recognise the union for collective bargaining purposes. The union is required to specify the particular category (or categories) of workers (known as the "bargaining unit") in respect of whom it seeks to conduct collective bargaining with the employer.

The CAC recognition process is also of relevance to those organisations which have entered into voluntary recognition agreements with unions, since it may also be used in this context to extend the ambit of existing voluntary collective bargaining arrangements to include more fundamental, and emotive, issues such as workers' pay, hours and holidays.