Employment Relations Act 2004


The Employment Relations Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which amended UK law regarding trade union membership and industrial action. It received Royal Assent on 16 September 2004. The law also enabled the UK government to make funds available to trade unions and federations of trade unions to modernise their operations.

Section 59 - Citation, commencement and extent

The following orders have been made under this section:
According to the Trades Union Congress, the Act contains 'significant union victories'. The TUC's then general secretary, Brendan Barber welcomed the law, noting that "Staff will have to be given information and be consulted over major changes to the business, as they currently are in Britain’s best companies. Trade unions will be able to recruit members in an environment free of underhand, US-style union-busting activities and will find it easier the exclude and expel far-right activists in breach of union rules. The union modernisation fund the establishes will enable unions to modernise in the same way the government has helped businesses adapt to grow in the modern economy."