Recognition Decision
Updated 25 June 2026
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
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Case Number: TUR1/1524(2026)
25 June 2026
CENTRAL ARBITRATION COMMITTEE
TRADE UNION AND LABOUR RELATIONS (CONSOLIDATION) ACT 1992
SCHEDULE A1 - COLLECTIVE BARGAINING: RECOGNITION
DECLARATION OF RECOGNITION WITHOUT A BALLOT
The Parties:
United Voices of the World
and
Solace Women’s Aid
1. Introduction
1) United Voices of the World (the Union) submitted an application to the CAC on 4 February 2026 that it should be recognised for collective bargaining by Solace Women’s Aid (the Employer) for a bargaining unit comprising the “All members of staff of the Tower Hamlets SASS team”. The CAC gave both parties notice of receipt of the application on 4 February 2026. The Employer submitted a response to the CAC dated 11 February 2026 which was copied to the Union.
2) In accordance with section 263 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (the Act), the CAC Chair established a Panel to deal with the case. The Panel consisted of Mrs Lisa Gettins, Panel Chair, and, as Members, Mr Richard Fulham and Mr Steve Gillan. The Case Manager appointed to support the Panel was Kaniza Bibi.
3) By a decision dated 4 March 2026 the Panel accepted the Union’s application. No agreement was reached between the parties as to the appropriate bargaining unit. The Employer, in its response to the application, had stated its agreement to the proposed bargaining unit as per the Unions application as “All members of staff of the Tower Hamlets SASS team”. The parties then agreed to a different bargaining unit “All members of staff of the Tower Hamlets SASS Team, excluding the Service Manager and Deputy Service Manager, to include the following roles as well as any new roles created within the Tower Hamlets SASS Team which are directly funded through the relevant local authority contract. Floating Housing Support Worker, Tower Hamlets SASS, Primary Care IDVA, IDVA, Bengali Speaking IDVA, Senior IDVA, MASH IDVA, Duty IDVA, Hospital IDVA, DWP IDVA and Housing IDVA”. This bargaining unit differed from that originally proposed by the Union in its application. As the appropriate bargaining unit agreed was different from that proposed by the Union in its application, the Panel was required by paragraph 20 of the Schedule A1 to the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (the Schedule) to determine whether the Union’s application was invalid within the terms of paragraphs 43 to 50 of the Schedule. By a decision dated 8 June 2026 the Panel determined that the application was valid and that the CAC would proceed with the application.
2. Issues
4) Paragraph 22 of the Schedule provides that, if the CAC is satisfied that a majority of the workers constituting the bargaining unit are members of the union, it must issue a declaration of recognition under paragraph 22(2) unless any of the three qualifying conditions specified in paragraph 22(4) applies. Paragraph 22(3) requires the CAC to hold a ballot even where it has found that a majority of workers constituting the bargaining unit are members of the union if any of these qualifying conditions is fulfilled.
5) The three qualifying conditions are:
(i) The CAC is satisfied that a ballot should be held in the interests of good industrial relations.
(ii) The CAC has evidence, which it considers to be credible, from a significant number of the union members within the bargaining unit that they do not want the union to conduct collective bargaining on their behalf.
(iii) Membership evidence is produced which leads the CAC to conclude that there are doubts whether a significant number of the union members within the bargaining unit want the union to conduct collective bargaining on their behalf.
Paragraph 22(5) provides that “membership evidence” for these purposes is:
(a) evidence about the circumstances in which union members became members, or
(b) evidence about the length of time for which union members have been members, in a case where the CAC is satisfied that such evidence should be taken into account.
3. The Union’s submission that it should be recognised without a ballot
6) In a letter dated 8 June 2026 the Union was asked by the CAC whether it claimed majority membership within the bargaining unit and, if so, whether it submitted that it should be granted recognition without a ballot. The Union, in an e-mail dated 11 June 2026, stated: “Union membership within the proposed bargaining unit substantially exceeds the statutory requirement that membership constitutes at least 10 per cent of the workers within the bargaining unit. The Union’s membership as per the report currently stands at 90 percent of the relevant bargaining unit. Further, the Union submits that a majority of workers within the bargaining unit would be likely to favour recognition of UVW as entitled to conduct collective bargaining on behalf of the bargaining unit. This is demonstrated not only by the Union’s membership density but also by the level of support evidenced by workers within the bargaining unit who have signed a petition expressing their support for recognition. In light of the above, the Union respectfully invites the CAC to accept the application.
4. The Employer’s response
7) The CAC copied the Union’s e-mail of 11 June 2026 to the Employer and invited the Employer to make submissions in relation to the Union’s claim that it had majority membership within the bargaining unit and in relation to the three qualifying conditions specified in paragraph 22(4) of the Schedule.
8) The Employer in its response sent an e-mail dated 15 June 2026, stated: “Just to confirm that we do not have any submissions to make regarding UVW’s claim to majority membership in the bargaining unit. We do not have any submissions on the eligibility conditions”.
5. Considerations
9) The Schedule requires the Panel to consider whether it is satisfied that a majority of the workers constituting the bargaining unit are members of the Union. If the Panel is satisfied that a majority of the workers constituting the bargaining unit are members of the Union, it must declare the Union to be recognised as entitled to conduct collective bargaining on behalf of the workers constituting the bargaining unit unless it decides that any of the three qualifying conditions set out in paragraph 22(4) is fulfilled. If the Panel considers that any of those conditions is fulfilled, it must give notice to the parties that it intends to arrange for the holding of a secret ballot.
10) The Panel is satisfied that, on the basis of the membership check carried out on 18 May 2026 which confirmed that there were 9 Union members in the bargaining unit of 10 workers giving a membership density of 90.00% of the unit, the majority of workers in the bargaining unit are members of the Union.
Paragraph 22(4)(a)
11) The first condition is that the Panel is satisfied that a ballot should be held in the interests of good industrial relations. In this case neither party has submitted evidence that holding a secret ballot would be in the interests of good industrial relations. The Panel is therefore satisfied that this condition does not apply.
Paragraph 22(4)(b)
12) The second condition is that the CAC has evidence, which it considers to be credible, from a significant number of the union members within the bargaining unit that they do not want the Union to conduct collective bargaining on their behalf. The CAC has no such evidence, and this condition therefore does not apply.
Paragraph 22(4)(c)
13) The third condition is that membership evidence is produced which leads the CAC to conclude that there are doubts whether a significant number of the union members within the bargaining unit want the Union to conduct collective bargaining on their behalf. No such evidence has been produced, and this condition therefore does not apply.
6. Declaration of recognition
14) The Panel is satisfied in accordance with paragraph 22(1)(b) of the Schedule that a majority of the workers constituting the bargaining unit are members of the Union. The Panel is satisfied that none of the conditions in paragraph 22(4) of the Schedule is met. Pursuant to paragraph 22(2) of the Schedule, the CAC must therefore issue a declaration that the Union is recognised as entitled to conduct collective bargaining on behalf of the workers constituting the bargaining unit. The CAC accordingly declares that the Union is recognised by the Employer as entitled to conduct collective bargaining on behalf of the bargaining unit comprising “All members of staff of the Tower Hamlets SASS Team, excluding the Service Manager and Deputy Service Manager, to include the following roles as well as any new roles created within the Tower Hamlets SASS Team which are directly funded through the relevant local authority contract. Floating Housing Support Worker, Tower Hamlets SASS, Primary Care IDVA, IDVA, Bengali Speaking IDVA, Senior IDVA, MASH IDVA, Duty IDVA, Hospital IDVA, DWP IDVA and Housing IDVA”.
Panel
Mrs Lisa Gettins, Panel Chair
Mr Richard Fulham
Mr Steve Gillan
25 June 2026