The Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1974 ("TULRA") was a UK

Act of Parliament Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the Legislature, legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of ...

(now repealed) on

industrial relations Industrial relations or employment relations is the multidisciplinary academic field that studies the employment relationship; that is, the complex interrelations between employers and employees, labor/trade unions, employer organizations, ...

. The Act contains rules on the functioning and legal status of trades union, the presumption that a

collective agreement A collective agreement, collective labour agreement (CLA) or collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is a written contract negotiated through collective bargaining for employees by one or more trade unions with the management of a company (or with an ...

is not binding, and immunity of unions who take strike action in contemplation or furtherance of a trade dispute. Together with the

Employment Protection Act 1975 The Employment Protection Act 1975 (c 71) (EPA 1975) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The long title was, Outline Together with the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1974, these Acts constituted the Labour Party's e ...

, TULRA formed the basis of the Labour Party's employment law programme under the " Social Contract" initiative.

Background

The Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1974 was introduced by the Labour Government which succeeded

Edward Heath Sir Edward Richard George Heath (9 July 191617 July 2005), often known as Ted Heath, was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1965 to 1975. Heath a ...

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

administration. TULRA both repealed and replaced the

Industrial Relations Act 1971 The Industrial Relations Act 1971 (c.72) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, since repealed. It was based on proposals outlined in the governing Conservative Party's manifesto for the 1970 general election. The goal was to stabil ...

which had been introduced by Heath's employment minister

Robert Carr Leonard Robert Carr, Baron Carr of Hadley, (11 November 1916 – 17 February 2012) was a British Conservative Party politician who served as Home Secretary from 1972 to 1974. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for 26 years, and later se ...

. The 1971 Act had faced massive opposition from the trade unions, whose industrial action contributed to Heath's implementation of the three day week and ultimately to the defeat of the government. The victorious Labour Party promptly repealed the Industrial Relations Act 1971, replacing it with their own legislation that was to incorporate the principles within

Barbara Castle Barbara Anne Castle, Baroness Castle of Blackburn, (''née'' Betts; 6 October 1910 – 3 May 2002), was a British Labour Party politician who was a Member of Parliament from 1945 to 1979, making her one of the longest-serving female MPs in Bri ...

's 1969

white paper A white paper is a report or guide that informs readers concisely about a complex issue and presents the issuing body's philosophy on the matter. It is meant to help readers understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision. A white pape ...

, "

In Place of Strife ''In Place of Strife'' ( Cmnd 3888) was a UK Government white paper written in 1969. It was a proposed act to use the law to reduce the power of trade unions in the United Kingdom, but was never passed into law. The title of the paper was a rework ...

". However, although the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1974 scrapped the 1971 Act's "offensive" provisions, it nevertheless effectively re-enacted the remaining bulk of Carr's statute."Industrial Law" - Elliott & Wood - Sweet & Maxwell The Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1974 was itself repealed, being replaced by the

Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 The Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992c 52 is a UK Act of Parliament which regulates United Kingdom labour law. The Act applies in full in England and Wales and in Scotland, and partially in Northern Ireland. The law cont ...

, whose main provisions mirror its predecessor's, albeit now with more complexities and restrictions. It contains rules on trade unions functioning and legal status, the presumption that a collective agreement is not binding, and immunity of unions who take strike action in contemplation or furtherance of a trade dispute.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trade Union And Labour Relations Act 1974 United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1974 United Kingdom labour law Labour relations in the United Kingdom Trade union legislation British trade unions history 1974 in labor relations