Recognition Decision
Updated 7 September 2023
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
Case Number: TUR1/1319(2023)
7 September 2023
CENTRAL ARBITRATION COMMITTEE
TRADE UNION AND LABOUR RELATIONS (CONSOLIDATION) ACT 1992
SCHEDULE A1 - COLLECTIVE BARGAINING: RECOGNITION
DECLARATION OF RECOGNITION
皇冠体育app Parties:
Unite the Union
and
WFL (UK) Limited
1. Introduction
1) Unite the Union (the Union) submitted an application to the CAC dated 27 April 2023 that it should be recognised for collective bargaining purposes by WFL (UK) Limited (the Employer) in respect of a bargaining unit comprising 鈥渁ll tanker delivery drivers employed by WFL UK Ltd across the UK including all Depot Operations Managers (who also perform delivery duties)鈥�[footnote 1] 皇冠体育app location of the bargaining unit was given as 鈥渨orkers are spread across 45 locations.鈥� 皇冠体育app application was received by the CAC on 2 May 2023 and the CAC gave both parties notice of receipt of the application by a letter of the same date. 皇冠体育app Employer submitted a response to the CAC dated 10 May 2023 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 Chairman established a Panel to deal with the case. 皇冠体育app Panel consisted of Mrs Lisa Gettins, Panel Chair, and, as Members, Mr Derek Devereux and Mr Paul Moloney. 皇冠体育app Case Manager appointed to support the Panel was Joanne Curtis.
3) By a decision dated 22 June 2023 the Panel accepted the Union鈥檚 application. 皇冠体育app parties then entered a period of negotiation in an attempt to reach agreement on the appropriate bargaining unit. On 29 June 2023 the parties notified the CAC that they had reached an agreement as to the appropriate bargaining unit and that this was the same as the bargaining unit described in the Union鈥檚 application namely: 鈥渁ll tanker delivery drivers employed by WFL UK Ltd across the UK including all Depot Operations Managers (who also perform delivery duties).鈥�
4) On 18 July 2023, the Panel, not being satisfied that a majority of the workers constituting the bargaining unit were members of the Union, gave notice in accordance with paragraph 23(2) of the Schedule that it intended to arrange for the holding of a secret ballot in which the workers constituting the bargaining unit would be asked whether they wanted the Union to conduct collective bargaining on their behalf. 皇冠体育app parties were advised that the Panel would wait until the end of the notification period,[footnote 2] as specified in paragraphs 24(2) to (7) of the Schedule, before arranging for the holding of a ballot. 皇冠体育app parties were also asked for their views on the form the ballot should take.
5) 皇冠体育app notification period described in the preceding paragraph elapsed without the Union, or the Union and the Employer jointly, informing the CAC that a ballot was not required.
6) In a letter to the CAC Manager dated 21 July 2023 the Union stated that it would prefer a postal ballot. In a letter to the Case Manager dated 21 July 2023 the Employer also confirmed that it would prefer a postal ballot.
2. 皇冠体育app Ballot
7) On 4 August 2023 Mi-Voice was appointed as the Qualified Independent Person (QIP) to conduct the ballot and the parties were notified accordingly. 皇冠体育app postal ballot papers were dispatched on 21 August 2023 to be returned to the QIP by no later than Noon on 4 September 2023.
8) 皇冠体育app QIP reported to the CAC on 4 September that, of the 262 workers eligible to vote, 205 ballot papers had been returned; there were three (3) ballot papers that were found to be spoiled or otherwise invalid. 192 workers, that is 95% of those voting, had voted to support the proposal that the Union be recognised for the purposes of collective bargaining with the Employer. Ten (10) workers, that is 5% of those voting, voted to reject the proposal. 皇冠体育app number of votes supporting the proposal as a percentage of the bargaining unit was 73.3%.
9) 皇冠体育app CAC informed the Employer and the Union on 6 September 2023 of the result of the ballot in accordance with paragraph 29(2) of the Schedule.
3. Declaration of Recognition
10) 皇冠体育app ballot establishes that a majority of the workers voting, and at least 40% of the workers constituting the bargaining unit, support the proposal that the Union should be recognised by the Employer for the purpose of conducting collective bargaining in respect of the bargaining unit. This satisfies the conditions under which the CAC must issue a declaration in favour of recognition in accordance with paragraph 29(3) of the Schedule.
11) 皇冠体育app CAC accordingly declares that the Union is recognised by the Employer as entitled to conduct collective bargaining on behalf of the bargaining unit comprising 鈥渁ll tanker delivery drivers employed by WFL UK Ltd across the UK including all Depot Operations Managers (who also perform delivery duties).鈥�
Panel
Mrs. Lisa Gettins, Panel Chair
Mr. Derek Devereux
Mr. Paul Moloney.
7 September 2023
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皇冠体育app application by the Union stated, 鈥渁ll tanker delivery drivers employed by WFL UK Ltd across the UK including all聽聽聽 (who also perform delivery duties).鈥� In an e mail dated 16 May 2023 the Union clarified that it had made a typographical error and missed some words from the application before the brackets. 皇冠体育app Union stated it should read 鈥渁ll tanker delivery drivers employed by WFL UK Ltd across the UK including all Depot Operations Managers (who also perform delivery duties).鈥� This is dealt with in paragraph 28 below.聽鈫�
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皇冠体育app 鈥渘otification period鈥�, in relation to notification by the union, is the period of 10 working days starting with the day on which the union receives the CAC鈥檚 notice under paragraph 23(2) or such longer period as the CAC may specify; in relation to notification by the unions and the employer, the period of 10 working days starting with the day on which the last of the parties receives the CAC鈥檚 notice or such longer period as the CAC may specify: paragraph 24(5),(6).聽鈫�