Taking part in industrial action and strikes
Overview
Industrial action is when workers:
- go on strike
- take other action, like refusing to do overtime (known as 鈥榓ction short of a strike鈥�)
Sometimes an employer may stop their workers from working or coming back to work during a dispute. This is called a 鈥榣ock-out鈥�.
Calling industrial action
Industrial action happens when trade union members are in a dispute with their employers that can鈥檛 be solved through negotiations.
A trade union can only call for industrial action if a majority of its members involved support it in a properly organised postal vote - called a 鈥榖allot鈥�.
Before organising a ballot, a union must decide which members affected by a dispute it wants to ask to take industrial action. It must tell all members entitled to vote and the employer what the ballot results were.
A trade union calls industrial action by telling members and the employer when and how this action will be taken. This should be done by a trade union official or committee that has the legal right to do so. Your voting paper must have said who this is.
Taking part in industrial action - your rights
If you鈥檙e a trade union member, you have the right to vote before your union asks you to take industrial action. You don鈥檛 have to take part in industrial action and can鈥檛 be disciplined by your union if you don鈥檛.
If you do get excluded or expelled from your union, you can complain to an employment tribunal.
Secondary action
It鈥檚 against the law to take part in 鈥榮econdary action鈥� (going on strike in sympathy with people who work for a different employer).