Open consultation

Make Work Pay: protection from detriments for taking industrial action

From:
Department for Business and Trade, Kate Dearden MP and The Rt Hon Peter Kyle MP
Published
26 February 2026

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Summary

We are seeking views on the types of detriments that employers should be prohibited from imposing on workers for taking industrial action.

This consultation closes at

Consultation description

The Employment Rights Act 2025 provides new protection for workers against detriments that they are subjected to by their employer to penalise, prevent or deter them from taking official industrial action.

The act enables the government to set out the detriments which are to be prohibited in regulations.

This consultation invites views from trade unions, employers, workers, and other interested parties, on what those prohibited detriments should be.

Documents

Make Work Pay: consultation on protection from detriments for taking industrial action

PDF, 703 KB, 26 pages

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Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email digital@businessandtrade.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Protection from detriments for taking industrial action: options assessment

PDF, 253 KB, 14 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email digital@businessandtrade.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Ways to respond

Respond online

or

Email to:

tradeunionpolicy@businessandtrade.gov.uk

Write to:

Trade Union Policy
Employment Rights Directorate
Department for Business and Trade
Old Admiralty Building
Admiralty Place
London
SW1A 2DY

Updates to this page

Published 26 February 2026

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