Industrial Relations

Our specialist employee relations unit is here to help you deliver practical solutions to complex trade union issues, whether your organisation faces small-scale industrial challenges or major national strikes. With a proven, trusted approach to employee relations, we have advised many household names and have obtained injunctions to stop several, high-profile national strikes for listed companies.

When collective workforce issues arise, our pragmatic advice puts you in control of your strategy, allowing you to act confidently and decisively from the outset. When you are in a high-pressure situation, we understand you need prompt, concise, and practical advice that aligns with your organisation's key goals. We will be there with you and have years of experience of successfully handling those situations

Our team can help you review the effectiveness of your collective bargaining arrangements and provide timely and robust advice when disputes arise. If your organisation faces change, we can provide a step-by-step guide on minimising risk and achieving that change as smoothly as possible.

Our services include:

• Managing strikes and other industrial action
• Seeking injunctions to restrain unlawful industrial action
• Drafting and reviewing collective agreements
• Advising on the rights of trade union members and officials
• Disciplining trade union officials
• Collective bargaining
• Collective consultation on redundancies and TUPE
• Handling works councils
• Union recognition requests, including representing clients in applications to the CAC

Featured experience

• Obtaining injunctions to stop two national strikes involving Royal Mail, including restraining a strike which would have impacted on postal voting in the 2019 general election
• Successfully representing clients at the CAC over recognition requests
• Supporting clients to achieve multiple change programmes in consultation/negotiation with recognised unions