Trade Union Act 1984
| Act of Parliament | |
| Long title | An Act to make provision for election to certain positions in trade unions and with respect to ballots held in connection with strikes or other forms of industrial action; to require trade unions to compile and maintain registers of members' names and addresses; to amend the law relating to expenditure by trade unions and unincorporated employers' associations on political objects; and to amend sections 1 and 2 of the Employment Act 1980. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 1984 c. 49 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 26 July 1984 |
| Repealed | 16 October 1992 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The Trade Union Act 1984 was a law in the United Kingdom that required all trade unions to hold a secret ballot before calling a strike. The majority of the act did not apply to trade unions based in Northern Ireland. The act was repealed on 16 October 1992. Sir Peter Bottomley, an employment minister, reportedly said that the act was "designed to ensure that trade unions are more democratic and their leaders more accountable to their members."
The act also required unions to elect a new general secretary every five years and to validate funds every ten years.
Kenneth Clarke, who is a politician for the Conservative Party (UK) reported that, at a point approximately two years after the passing of the bill, 19 unions changed the practice to comply with the act. The act also says that those who are in high up positions in the union must "be accountable to the membership [of the union] as a whole."