Types of industrial action by trade unions:
The workforce keeps on working but at the absolute minimum pace to avoid bing subject to legitimate disciplinary action.
Workers taking industrial action might stand at the entrance to the venue of the dispute and demonstrate by means of banners or words to other workers not to cross the picket line, i.e. go to work. The 1980’s legislation restricted a picket line to six workers.
Picketing an employer’s premises other than the one directly involved in the dispute. This was finally outlawed in 1990.
The workforce simply fails to report to work
The workforce applies to the employer’s own rules and procedures ‘to the letter’. An example would be a train driver who insisted on following the checking procedure in the driver’s manual before taking the train out of the station. The driver could not be criticised but inevitably delay or cancel the train.
Union legislation in the 1980’s and 1990’s
ACAS
‘ACAS’ stands for Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service. Founded in 1975, the mission statement of ACAS is:
To improve the performance and effectiveness of organisations by providing an independent and impartial service to prevent and resolve disputes and to build harmonious relationships at work.
ACAS seeks to:
- Prevent and resolve employment disputes
- Conciliate in actual or potential complaints to industrial tribunals
- Provide information and advice
- Promote good practice.
