135.Section 227(1) of the 1992 Act provides that entitlement to vote in an industrial action ballot must be accorded equally to all union members who it is reasonable at the time of the ballot for the union to believe will be induced to take part in the industrial action. No other members are entitled to vote. Section 227(2) provides that these requirements are not satisfied if “any person” who was a member at the time of the ballot and who was denied an entitlement to vote is subsequently induced by the union to take part in the action.
136.The effect of these provisions is that unions are free to induce new members who joined the union after the ballot to take industrial action. However, they cannot induce any members to take action if they were members at the time of the ballot but were denied an entitlement to vote. This includes cases where members changed their job after the ballot and became employed within the group of workers which the union is proposing should take industrial action.
137.Paragraph 4 repeals section 227(2). Paragraph 8 inserts a new section 232A into the 1992 Act which defines circumstances where a union which induces a member to take industrial action who was denied an entitlement to vote in the ballot loses its protection from liability in tort. The effect of the new section is to maintain that protection for unions which induce members to take action where they were not balloted, unless it was reasonable at the time of the ballot for the union to believe that those members would be induced to take part. This will enable unions to induce members who changed job after the ballot to take action. Paragraph 2(2) makes a consequential change to section 226 of the 1992 Act, which defines the circumstances where industrial action can be regarded as having the support of a ballot.
Commentary on Sections Trade unions Inducing members to take industrial action