Member

Collective bargaining depends on the bargaining unit encompassing the workers whose interests are to be negotiated. The noble Lord, Lord Hendy, gave us an interesting historical canter through the world of collective bargaining the other day, and I think that that was his conclusion. If, after recognition, the unit’s membership has evolved significantly—say, through the introduction of a new line of business employment or different categories of staff—the original unit may no longer cover those workers or, conversely, may cover a much smaller or different cohort. Amendment 216FB ensures that the CAC could step in if the disparity between the unit and the workforce grows too large. This safeguard is not a call for endless or frivolous challenges; it is a measured principle that the unit must remain accurate in representing those it purports to cover.