The Information and Consultation of Employees (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Information and Consultation of Employees (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 and shall come into operation on 6th April 2006.

Amendment of Regulations

2.  The Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005(1) (“the 2005 Regulations”) shall be amended in accordance with regulations 3 to 5.

3.  In regulation 2 after the definition of “parties” there shall be inserted the words—

““Pension Schemes Regulations” means The Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Consultation by Employers) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006(2)”.

4.  After regulation 17 there shall be inserted—

“Negotiated agreements and listed changes to pension schemes

17A.— (1) A requirement in any negotiated agreement or any part of such an agreement made before 6th April 2006 to inform and consult employees or their representatives about a listed change shall cease to apply once—

(a) the employer is under a duty under any of regulations 7(3) and 11 to 13 of the Pension Schemes Regulations; and

(b) he has notified the information and consultation representatives or, where he must consult employees directly, the employees, in writing that he will be complying with his duty under the provisions of the Pension Schemes Regulations referred to in sub-paragraph (a), instead of his obligations under the negotiated agreement, provided that the notification is given on each occasion on which the employer has become or is about to become subject to the duty.

(2) For the purposes of this regulation “listed change” has the meaning given by regulation 6(2) of the Pension Schemes Regulations.”.

5.  In regulation 20(5)—

(a) in sub-paragraph (a) the word “or” shall be omitted;

(b) after sub-paragraph (b) there shall be inserted the words—

“or

(c) any of regulations 7(3) and 11 to 13 of the Pension Schemes Regulations,”; and

(c) for the words “sub-paragraph (a) or (b)” there shall be substituted the words “sub-paragraph (a), (b) or (c)”.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Employment and Learning on 6th March 2006.

L.S.

D. S. S. McAuley

A senior officer of the

Department for Employment and Learning