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New trade union access rights are expected to take effect from 30 October 2026, subject to Parliamentary approval. They will change how trade unions can communicate with workers through physical and digital access.
In this episode of Making News, Make UK's Jamie Cater (Senior Policy Manager), Jonathan Young (Senior Legal Advisor) and Jenny Rimell (Head of HR Consultancy and Training) discuss what the changes could mean for employers and how businesses can prepare.
*They cover:*
• How physical and digital access could work
• What happens when an access request arrives
• The proposed 15-working-day response period
• Who should receive, manage, and negotiate a request
• What employers should consider before allowing site access
• Why managers, shift leaders and reception teams need to understand their role
• How the rights could affect businesses that already recognise a union
• The importance of policy, process, and competence
• How employee communication and workforce voice could affect union activity
The discussion is relevant to employers with established trade union relationships, as well as businesses with little or no experience of working with unions.
*Chapters:*
00:00 Introduction
01:06 Trade union changes taking effect from October 2026
02:26 What the new right of access means
04:26 Physical and digital access
05:54 Can an employer refuse access?
07:58 What businesses should do now
09:33 Which businesses are covered
10:59 Preparing a business with no union relationship
13:48 Where businesses may need support
16:09 What changes for businesses that already recognise a union
20:33 Conversations with recognised unions
22:28 Receiving and responding to an access request
24:54 Policies, processes and training
28:39 What employers need to know about the code of practice
31:48 Employee engagement and manager capability
35:24 Why these rights are different
36:36 What employers should prioritise
38:10 How Make UK can support employers
39:28 Closing
Find out how Make UK can help your business prepare, including consultancy support, manager training, and help responding to an access request: https://www.makeuk.org/services/hr-and-legal/collective-employee-relations
*Who Is Make UK?*
Make UK champions and celebrates British manufacturing and manufacturers. Together, we build a platform for the evolution of UK manufacturing.
*For more information please head over to ↗️https://www.makeuk.org/*
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