Great Britain

Abstract

Until the 1970s the law was used only in exceptional circumstances in the employment sphere and the rights and interests of British workers were protected by trade unions and the collective agreements which they had concluded with employers. In the last four decades, however, there has been a significant decrease in trade union density and coverage of the workforce by collective agreements has waned (Brownlie, 2012). Concomitant with this decline there has been a growth in individual statutory rights mainly, but by no means wholly, emanating from the European Union. As a result, British employment relations, which half a century ago were voluntarist and collective, are now subject to legal adjudication mainly, but not exclusively, by labour courts known as employment tribunals (ETs).