Responding to the government’s proposals on Trade Union Rights of Access, Kate Shoesmith, Director of Policy at the BCC, said:

“Smaller firms fear that plans to give Trade Unions new rights of access to their premises will damage productivity at a time when they are already under significant pressure.

“Good employment relations are created by transparent and direct contact between employers and their teams. Inserting a third party into that equation will be a complicating and unnecessary distraction for many companies.

“The reality of granting Trade Unions weekly access to businesses with as few as 21 employees, risks disrupting day-to-day operations, with limited value-added for workers.

“Small firms rarely have dedicated HR teams or administrative support staff, so managing the process around access will be enormously burdensome.

“The government has listened to our calls to increase the time limits to respond to access requests and negotiate agreements, but this will not offset the wider issues.

“Employers have repeatedly told us that access rights changes are their number one concern, and the government’s approach will have done nothing to alleviate this.

“Last year, during negotiations around the unfair dismissal qualifying period, the government committed to further tripartite discussion with business and trade union representatives. This was to ensure that key elements of the Employment Rights Act were introduced in a practical and manageable way.

“But the lack of discussion around this issue, and a shortened timeframe on the consultation for the related code of practice, completely undermine that commitment. This is hugely disappointing.”