22 December 2025
Bira has responded to the Government’s consultation on proposals to introduce a new duty for employers to inform workers of their right to join a trade union. The consultation sought views on what information should be provided, how it should be delivered, and the frequency of reminders.
Key points from the consultation:
- Employers may be required to provide a written statement to workers about their right to join a union.
- The statement could include details such as recognised trade unions and a link to GOV.UK for further guidance.
- The Government is considering whether the statement should be standardised and whether employers should issue reminders annually.
Bira’s response supports measures that ensure any compliance is simple and minimises administrative burden and cost for employers.
Our key recommendations are:
- Standardised statement: This should be provided by the Government and hosted on GOV.UK, ensuring consistency and minimising any unnecessary complexities and legal or administrative costs for employers.
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- Employers should have a choice to inform employees of their right to join a trade union in their contract of employment, or within a company’s staff manual.
- Employers should confirm any trade unions they formally recognise.
- Employers should provide a link to the Government’s guidance on trade unions.
- Delivery: Employers should have flexibility to include the statement in a staff handbook or employment contract for new workers, and deliver it directly or indirectly to existing workers.
- Annual reminders: Much like employers are under no legal obligation to provide employees with an annual reminder of their contract terms, we do support the need for employers to provide annual reminders of their right to join a trade union, as this would create unnecessary administrative burden.
- Consistency: If a frequency requirement is introduced, it should apply uniformly across all sectors and sizes.
This consultation is not yet Government policy.
For further information on this and any other elements of the Employment Rights Bill, please visit our Employment Rights Bill Hub.
Employers’ Duty to Inform Workers of Their Right to Join a Union
How do you see this impacting workplace culture and employee engagement?
Our members have already started the conversation over on the forum, which you can access by simply logging into the Bira website. See what fellow retailers think of this Budget and have your say over on Bira Connect.
Bira's advocacy takes your voice to the heart of Parliament
Bira is at the forefront of championing the cause of independent traders and shopkeepers across Britain.
Our campaigns cover a wide spectrum of issues crucial to the success of independent traders including:
- Combatting the rising tide of retail crime
- Advocating for changes in legislation that promote fairness and flexibility
- Fighting for fairer business rates
- Overall reducing the regulatory burden
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