THE TUC said new rules covering workplace access to trade unions will boost productivity across the economy today after business groups claimed they would be disruptive and bureaucratic.

Responding to a consultation as part of the Employment Rights Act, the government said that employers with over 21 employees will need to provide workplace access to trade unions as frequently as every week.

Unions will also only need to provide a minimum of two working days’ notice to employers before they access the workplace.

Employers will, however, be given more time to respond to a trade union’s request for access and to negotiate the terms of an access agreement.

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “Unionised workplaces don’t just deliver better pay and conditions — they offer safer jobs, more training and have lower staff turnover. 

“Good employers know this and recognise the benefits of working with trade unions.

“New access rights will make it easier for workers to join a union — helping to raise workplace standards and boost productivity across the economy.

“Unions will be doing everything they can to use these rights to make sure everyone can benefit from a union at work.

“Once again this is about bringing the UK back into the international mainstream after years of the Conservatives racing to the bottom on workers’ rights.”

Matthew Percival, of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said: “Granting every union a right to access every workplace on a weekly basis risks adding disruption and distracting employers from their core focus of creating jobs and delivering economic growth, with little benefit for workers.”

He suggested “businesses may have been willing to accept more targeted access rights, underpinned by clear safeguards to ensure powers were used responsibly… a truly balanced approach would ensure each party has a requirement to act reasonably, not place strict expectations on employers while trusting that unions will be reasonable.”

British Retail Consortium chief Helen Dickinson added: “Many retailers have constructive relationships with unions but allowing weekly access to multisite workplaces would be disruptive to service for customers, with no clear benefit to employees.

“While it is good news government has acknowledged that its timeframes for responding to trade union access requests were unworkable, weekly access is unnecessary, excessive, and disruptive.”