What should you do if you receive a valid request to start statutory negotiations?

If between 10 and 39% of your workforce make a valid request to start the statutory negotiating process and you have a ‘pre-existing’ agreement, you can hold an endorsement ballot on whether all employees want it to continue. Otherwise, you will need to start the statutory process, which means:

• Making arrangements for the employees to appoint or elect ‘negotiating representatives’ and then, once they have been elected/appointed, informing the workforce of their identity.

• Negotiating with the negotiating representatives on an agreement. To qualify as a statutory ‘negotiated’ agreement it must meet various requirements set down in the ICE Regulations (for example, it must cover all the employees in the business, must be in writing, be signed and dated by the employer and must be approved by the employees).