| Unit name | Workers, Unions and Collective Labour Rights |
|---|---|
| Unit code | LAWDM0149 |
| Credit points | 30 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Novitz |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | University of Bristol Law School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit will enable students to examine various aspects of collective labour law, with reference to social and democratic theory, regulatory design, and the wider social and economic context. The focus will be on UK law, with additional reference to international and European labour standards. Where appropriate comparative studies from other common law countries will also be discussed, as will recent developments in continental Europe. Students will have the opportunity to analyse freedom of association, its relevance as a human (and constitutional) right and its implications for democracy and equality. They will consider different forms of worker voice and collective organisation, including social movement unionism. We will explore scope for trade union representation, with reference to current provision for access to the workplace and statutory recognition procedures, alongside tendencies to privilege non-independent and non-representative trade unions. We will consider trade unions’ relationships with their members and regulation through the Certification Officer, including restrictions on the use of political fund. Access to information and consultation arising under European Union law will further be investigated. Opportunities for collective bargaining and enforcement of agreements reached (at workplace, enterprise and sectoral levels) will be investigated, alongside the statutory bodies established for their oversight: the Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) and the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC). Controversy regarding the status of the right to strike under international, European and domestic law will be considered, alongside UK restrictions on industrial action, including picketing. The scope for transnational organisation and trade union activity will also be examined.
At the end of the unit learners that engage with this unit will be able to:
Teaching will be delivered through a variety of asynchronous and synchronous activities
2 x summative assessments: 2x coursework with a specified word count (50% each)
The assessment will assess all of the intended learning outcomes for this unit.
The materials for this unit will all be available on Blackboard – either as PDFs of book chapters or links to primary and secondary legal resources. It is not anticipated that there would be any further burden on University library resources as a result of the teaching of this unit. Key readings include:
