The Trade Union and Labour Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1995

99.—(1) This paragraph applies if— N.I.

(a) the employer believes that he, taken with any associated employer or employers, employed an average of fewer than 21 workers in any period of 13 weeks, and

(b) that period ends on or after the relevant date.

(2) If the employer wishes the bargaining arrangements to cease to have effect, he must give the union (or each of the unions) a notice complying with sub-paragraph (3) and must give a copy of the notice to the Court.

(3) A notice complies with this sub-paragraph if it—

[F1 (za) is not invalidated by paragraph 99A,]

(a) identifies the bargaining arrangements,

(b) specifies the period of 13 weeks in question,

(c) states the date on which the notice is given,

(d) is given within the period of 5 working days starting with the day after the last day of the specified period of 13 weeks,

(e) states that the employer, taken with any associated employer or employers, employed an average of fewer than 21 workers in the specified period of 13 weeks, and

(f) states that the bargaining arrangements are to cease to have effect on a date which is specified in the notice and which falls after the end of the period of 35 working days starting with the day after that on which the notice is given.

(4) To find the average number of workers employed by the employer, taken with any associated employer or employers, in the specified period of 13 weeks—

(a) take the number of workers employed in each of the 13 weeks (including workers not employed for the whole of the week);

(b) aggregate the 13 numbers;

(c) divide the aggregate by 13.

(5) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)(a) any worker employed by an associated company incorporated outside Northern Ireland must be ignored in relation to a week unless the whole or any part of that week fell within a period during which he ordinarily worked in Northern Ireland.

[F2 (5A) Sub-paragraph (5B) applies to an agency worker whose contract within regulation 3(1)(b) of the Agency Workers Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011 (contract with the temporary work agency) is not a contract of employment.

(5B) For the purposes of sub-paragraphs (1) and (4), the agency worker is to be treated as having a contract of employment with the temporary work agency for the duration of the assignment with the employer (and “"assignment”” has the same meaning as in those Regulations).]

(6) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (5) a worker who is employed on board a ship registered in the register maintained under section 8 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 shall be treated as ordinarily working in Northern Ireland unless—

(a) the ship's entry in the register specifies a port outside Northern Ireland as the port to which the vessel is to be treated as belonging,

(b) the employment is wholly outside Northern Ireland, or

(c) the worker is not ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland.

(7) An order made under paragraph 7(6) may also—

(a) provide that sub-paragraphs (1) to (6) of this paragraph and paragraphs[F1 99A] to 103 are not to apply, or are not to apply in specified circumstances, or

(b) vary the number of workers for the time being specified in sub-paragraphs (1)(a) and (3)(e).

F1 2004 NI 19

F2 Sch. 1A para. 99(5A)(5B) inserted (5.12.2011) by Agency Workers Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011 (S.R. 2011/350), reg. 23(2), Sch. 2 para. 7(3)