Ongoing reports of collective industrial action show how important it is for organisations, and people professionals, to develop effective ways of working with recognised trade unions. This is to improve employee relations as well as business outcomes.

A previous historical decline in trade union membership has had an impact on the HR profession. Many contemporary professionals have little experience of dealing with trade unions.

Yet, since 6 April 2026, the Employment Rights Act 2025 has made it easier for trade unions to achieve recognition in a number of ways. Further changes are also forecast in October 2026, and across 2027. Keep up-to-date with the latest on these changes with our Employment Rights Act 2025 tracker.

The aim of this guide is to provide practical advice on working effectively with trade unions, proactively making these relationships more partnership-based, and providing the conditions for unions to become an invested ally in your business.

This page outlines the current legislation that should still be followed until any changes come into force. We will update this page once any changes are enforced.

 

 

Member tool: CIPD Buddy AI AI
Use AI to find trusted answers on our Knowledge hub. Start using CIPD Buddy AI

On this page

To continue reading, log in or become a member

Affiliate membership offers instant access to CIPD resources without the need for assessments or study, or explore your options to become a professional member of the CIPD to demonstrate your commitment to the world of work.

  • Access to exclusive, up-to-date resources
  • Become part of a community to learn, debate and connect with other people professionals
  • Free access to a series of CIPD learning courses and a discount on the rest of our catalogue
Instant access Explore membership
  • Factsheet

    The psychological contract

    This factsheet examines what the psychological contract is, why it's important and the strategic implications it has on the employment relationship

    For Members
  • Data

    Health and wellbeing

    Compare your health and wellbeing practices with the latest trends, drawn from CIPD 2026 research data.

  • Data

    Work life balance

    Benchmark your employees' perceptions of work life balance against 2026 CIPD research data

  • Data

    Employee-employer relations

    The latest data on job satisfaction, employee perceptions of their organisations, and employee contributions to their organisation's productivity

    • All guides