Today marks the first of three days of planned industrial action, with the further two days coming later this week on 23 and 25 June. The planned action will see around 40,000 national rail staff going on strike over redundancies, pay, working conditions and pensions.
Use of agency workers during industrial action
Under the current position, agency workers are not allowed to supply workers to specifically cover work that is not being done due to lawful industrial action. Agency workers already in place as part of normal business, however, are permitted to carry on as usual. For obvious reasons, the inability to take on agency workers to cover staff shortages places further pressure on employers facing industrial action.
Proposed changes
The government is planning to change this position by introducing new legislation to allow agency workers to fill in for striking staff. Whilst the changes won’t be coming into effect this week, they are widely expected to come into force in the middle of July.
Although no official announcement has been made, it’s expected that the plan would give all employers (whether in the public or private sector) the option to bring in outside staff to cover workers on strike. Whilst some will see the move as necessary to prevent costly disruptions across the country, the proposals have been heavily criticised by trade unions.
Practical impact
Paul Nowak, deputy secretary general of the Trades Union Congress has said: “Allowing agency staff to replace striking workers would undermine the right to strike and create genuine safety risks for the public and for the workforce”. It is expected, however, that for safety-critical roles such as train-signalling, staff based in other parts of the rail network would be moved to cover busier regions. Without agreement from staff to be moved in these circumstances, rail bosses will likely be looking to their employees’ contractual terms for a right to temporarily change their place of work.
There is also question mark over how willing agency workers and recruitment agencies will be to cooperate with employers. In the context of record high job vacancies, it seems likely that many agency workers will have a good degree of choice when it comes to choosing which assignments to accept. Neil Carberry, Chief Executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation suggested: “Agency staff have a choice of roles and are highly unlikely to choose to cross picket lines. Agencies want the ban to stay to avoid them being pressured by clients into supplying staff in hostile and potentially dangerous situations”.
As the real impact of this week’s strikes becomes more measurable, it’s likely we will see much more commentary on the proposed change soon. If you would like to discuss any issues relating to trade unions, industrial action, agency workers or mobility clauses, please get in touch on 01276 854663 or employment@herrington-carmichael.com.
This reflects the law at the date of publication and is written as a general guide. It does not contain definitive legal advice, which should be sought as appropriate in relation to a particular matter.
Solicitor, Employment Law
t: 0118 989 8153
e: tom.hyatt@herrington-carmichael.com
Podcasts
The Legal Room UK Podcast features a diverse range of specialists offering expertise on a variety of topics.
Subscribe on whatever podcast platform you use.
Top Legal Insights
Material Breach of Contract
What is a ‘material’ breach of contract by a party to a commercial contract? This is a critical issue regularly considered by the courts. What constitutes a material breach and what are the remedies?
Commercial Lease: The Financial impact on Landlord and Tenant
Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the restrictions now in place to control its spread, are having a significant effect on many business sectors.
Divorce in Lockdown: Can I get some discreet legal advice?
We have spoken to clients who are unfortunately experiencing some family issues, and would like to obtain expert legal advice, yet don’t know how…
Land & Property Dispute
Restrictive Covenants – The Price of Modification
Having identified that your land is burdened by a restrictive covenant and for the purposes of this article the covenant in question will be that only one residential building can be erected on the land. What do you do next?
Wills, Trusts and Probate
Why is having a will so important?
It is entirely up to you if and when you want to create a Will, but it is important to be aware of the consequences of not having a Will.
Award winning legal advice
We are solicitors in Camberley, Wokingham and London. In 2019, Herrington Carmichael won ‘Property Law Firm of the Year’ at the Thames Valley Business Magazines Property Awards, ‘Best Medium Sized Business’ at the Surrey Heath Business Awards and we were named IR Global’s ‘Member of the Year’. We are ranked as a Leading Firm 2022 by Legal 500 and Alistair McArthur is ranked in Chambers 2021.
Camberley
Building 2 Watchmoor Park, Riverside Way, Camberley, Surrey GU15 3YL
+44 (0)1276 686 222
Ascot (Appointment only)
102, Berkshire House, 39-51 High Street, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7HY
+44 (0)1344 623388
London (Appointment only)
60 St Martins Lane, Covent Garden, London WC2N 4JS
+44 (0)203 326 0317
Wokingham (Appointment only)
4 The Courtyard, Denmark Street, Wokingham, Berkshire RG40 2AZ
+44 (0)118 977 4045
