Question 1

What is industrial action, and what makes a strike lawful?

Accepted Answer

Collective action by workers to put pressure on an employer — and in the UK it is lawful only where a detailed set of statutory requirements has been met, any one of which can render it unlawful.

**The forms it takes:** a **strike**, withdrawing labour entirely; **action short of a strike**, such as working to rule, refusing overtime, or an overtime ban; and **work to rule**, performing only contractual duties precisely.

**The legal position, which is frequently misstated.** There is **no positive right to strike** in UK law in the way there is in some countries. Instead, a union organising industrial action would ordinarily be liable for inducing breach of contract — and the law provides **immunity** from that liability where specified conditions are met. So the question is not whether there is a right but whether the immunity applies.

**What is required for immunity:**

**A trade dispute** between workers and their own employer, about specified matters including terms and conditions, engagement or dismissal, allocation of work, discipline, and negotiating machinery. **Political strikes and secondary action — action against a different employer — are not protected.**

**A properly conducted postal ballot**, with statutory notice to the employer, an independent scrutineer where required, and prescribed information on the ballot paper including the matters in dispute and the type of action.

**Turnout thresholds.** At least **50% turnout** is required, and in **important public services** an additional requirement that at least **40% of those entitled to vote** support the action — not 40% of those voting.

**Notice to the employer** of the ballot and of the action itself, within prescribed periods.

**A ballot mandate expires**, so action must take place within a defined window.

**What protection individuals have.** Dismissal for taking **protected industrial action** is automatically unfair for a protected period, subject to conditions.

**What employers may do:** withhold pay for days not worked, which is lawful and routine; and, following recent legislative changes, engage agency workers to cover — a change that has been legally contested.

**Picketing** is subject to its own rules on numbers, location and conduct.

General information, not legal advice.

Question 2

What is the difference between an employee, a worker and self-employed?

Accepted Answer

In UK law these are three distinct employment statuses with sharply different rights, and what your contract calls you does not decide it — a tribunal looks at the reality of the arrangement.

Question 3

What is IR35, and who does it affect?

Accepted Answer

IR35 — formally the off-payroll working rules — is UK tax legislation addressing people who work through their own company but who, stripped of that company, would look like employees of the client.

Question 4

How does a grievance procedure work?

Accepted Answer

The formal route for raising a concern about your employment with your employer — and although the procedure itself is not directly enforceable, following it matters because failing to can reduce

Question 5

What is a settlement agreement and when is one offered?

Accepted Answer

A settlement agreement is a legally binding contract in which an employee agrees to waive their right to bring claims against the employer, usually in exchange for a payment. It was formerly called a

Question 6

What is a zero-hours contract and what rights come with it?

Accepted Answer

A zero-hours contract is an arrangement with no guaranteed minimum hours. The employer offers work when available; how much obligation exists on either side depends on the contract's terms. The two

Question 7

What are your rights to breaks and maximum working hours?

Accepted Answer

Working time rules set limits on how long you can be required to work and what rest you must receive — and the entitlements are more specific, and in places more limited, than people assume. The

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