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The Industrial Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1992, Cross Heading: Union membership or recognition requirements in contracts is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 23 September 2024. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.
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27.—(1) Any term or condition of a contract for the supply of goods or services is void in so far as it purports—
(a)to require that the whole, or some part, of the work done for the purposes of the contract is to be done only by persons who are not members of trade unions or not members of a particular trade union; or
(b)to require that the whole, or some part, of such work is to be done only by persons who are members of trade unions or members of a particular trade union.
(2) A person contravenes this paragraph if, on the ground of union membership, he—
(a)fails, in a case where he maintains (in whatever form) a list of approved suppliers of goods or services or a list of persons from whom tenders for the supply of goods or services may be invited, to include the name of a particular person in that list;
(b)terminates a contract for the supply of goods or services; or
(c)does, in relation to a proposed contract for the supply of goods or services, any of the acts mentioned in paragraph (3).
(3) The acts are—
(a)excluding a particular person from the group of persons from whom tenders for the supply of the goods or services are invited;
(b)failing to permit a particular person to submit such a tender;
(c)otherwise determining not to enter into a contract with a particular person for the supply of the goods or services.
(4) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(a), a person (the “first person”) fails to include the name of another person (the “supplier”) in a list, on the ground of union membership, if the ground, or one of the grounds, for failing to include his name is either—
(a)that, if the supplier were to enter into a contract with the first person for the supply of goods or services, work to be done for the purposes of the contract would, or would be likely to, be done by persons who were not members of trade unions or of a particular trade union; or
(b)that, if the supplier were to enter into such a contract, work to be done for the purposes of the contract would, or would be likely to, be done by persons who were members of trade unions or of a particular trade union.
(5) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(b), a person terminates a contract on the ground of union membership if the ground, or one of the grounds, for terminating it is either—
(a)that work done, or to be done, for the purposes of the contract has been, or is likely to be, done by persons who are not members of trade unions or of a particular trade union; or
(b)that work done, or to be done, for the purposes of the contract has been, or is likely to be, done by persons who are members of trade unions or of a particular trade union.
(6) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(c), a person does an act on the ground of union membership if the ground, or one of the grounds, on which he does that act is either—
(a)that, if the proposed contract were entered into with the person referred to in paragraph (3), work to be done for the purposes of the contract would, or would be likely to, be done by persons who are not members of trade unions or of a particular trade union; or
(b)that, if the proposed contract were entered into with that person, work to be done for the purposes of the contract would, or would be likely to, be done by persons who are members of trade unions or of a particular trade union.
(7) Paragraph (2) does not create an offence but the obligation to comply with it is a duty owed to each of the following—
(a)in a case falling within paragraph (2)(a), the person referred to in paragraph (4) as the supplier;
(b)in a case falling within paragraph (2)(b), any other party to the contract;
(c)in a case falling within paragraph (2)(c), the person referred to in paragraph (3); and
(d)in any case, any other person who may be adversely affected by its contravention;
and any breach of that duty shall be actionable accordingly (subject to the defences and other incidents applying to actions for breach of statutory duty).
28.—(1) Any term or condition of a contract for the supply of goods or services is void in so far as it purports to require any party to the contract—
(a)to recognise one or more trade unions (whether or not named in the contract) for the purpose of negotiating on behalf of workers, or any class of worker, employed by him; or
(b)to negotiate or consult with, or with any official of, one or more trade unions (whether or not so named).
(2) A person contravenes this paragraph if, on the ground of union exclusion, he acts in a manner falling within paragraph (2)(a), (b) or (c) of Article 27.
(3) For the purposes of paragraph (2), a person acts on the ground of union exclusion if the ground or one of the grounds for his action is that the person against whom it is taken does not, or is not likely to, recognise, negotiate or consult as mentioned in paragraph (1).
(4) Paragraph (2) does not create an offence but the obligation to comply with it is a duty owed to each of the following—
(a)the person against whom the action is taken; and
(b)any other person who may be adversely affected by the contravention,
and any breach of that duty shall be actionable accordingly (subject to the defences and other incidents applying to actions for breach of statutory duty).
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