3.The majority of the provisions of this Act form part of a package of reforms to employment and trade union law outlined in the Government’s White Paper, Fairness at Work, published in May 1998 (Cm 3968) and developed in the light of consultation, as announced by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 17 December 1998 (Commons Hansard WA cols 692-693).
4.The Act comprises:
	new statutory procedures for the recognition and derecognition of trade unions for collective bargaining, to apply when unions and employers are unable to reach agreement voluntarily, and a requirement for employers to inform and consult unions recognised under the statutory procedure on their training policies and plans;
	changes to the law on trade union membership, to prevent discrimination by omission and the blacklisting of people on grounds of trade union membership or activities;
	changes to the law on industrial action, in particular to certain aspects of the ballot requirements and to enable dismissed strikers to complain of unfair dismissal in certain circumstances;
	new rights and changes in family-related employment rights, aimed at making it easier for workers to balance the demands of work and the family;
	a new right for workers to be accompanied in certain disciplinary and grievance hearings;
	other changes in individual employment rights; and
	other, miscellaneous provisions.
5.Most of the Act consists of amendments to the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (“the 1992 Act”) and the Employment Rights Act 1996 (“the 1996 Act”). With a few exceptions (notably provisions relating to the National Minimum Wage), the Act does not generally extend to Northern Ireland. Section 46(2), however, provides for an Order in Council under paragraph 1(1)(b) of Schedule 1 to the Northern Ireland Act 1974 to be subject to the negative rather than the affirmative resolution procedure and to be made only for purposes corresponding to those of this Act.
Summary and Background