ACAS Code of Practice on Time Off for Trade Union Duties and Activities

The noble Lord, Lord De Mauley, talks about the impact at a time of increasingly strained industrial relations. In the current economic crisis, it is interesting to see some of the deals that are being negotiated as collective bargaining agreements. They are difficult deals—significant time off work on reduced pay, holidays and so on—and yet unions involved in collective bargaining have negotiated those deals. ACAS is trying to ensure that the situation is clarified in relation to time off. I do not take the view, to use a colourful metaphor, that we are fiddling while Rome burns. I think we are making a positive contribution to the development of employee relations. If employers use it in that way, they will gain as much as employees in a collective bargaining situation. On revising the code in the current economic climate, we are not imposing any additional regulation or burden on business. The revised code will help business as it is made more relevant to modern workplace conditions. Allowing workers to have more time off will certainly not damage business because the revised code does not change the statutory entitlement for time off for trade union duties. Instead, the code assists business by providing more guidance on how it can manage the process of time off to enable union representatives to perform their functions both as employees and as representatives efficiently. Where that works well, as I quoted in situations like Honda or BT, there is a win-win scenario. I welcome the support from the noble Lord, Lord Razzall. He made a valid point about the material differences, which we need to take into account for the future. On the Government’s approach to the Total dispute, I believe that the Gibson review is looking at the question of productivity and so on in those sorts of industries. I would not want to speculate on the future. The Government’s role has been to try to ensure that the appropriate organisations—ACAS and so on—have been involved to ensure that we end these disputes as quickly as possible. Motion agreed.