The Law of Industrial Action and Trade Union Recognition

Law and practice in the field of industrial action and trade union recognition has undergone extensive changes in recent years. The third edition of The Law of Industrial Action and Trade Union Recognition provides a new, up-to-date, and thorough analysis of this technical area of law.

This edition offers comprehensive coverage of all aspects of bringing and defending recognition claims and industrial action injunctions to ensure that nothing is missed when planning a case. It includes full coverage of trade union recognition, employment protection rights, deductions from pay, and the impact of the Human Rights Act 1998 on strikes and picketing. New chapters on Leverage Campaigns and Ancillary Protest cover the new forms of industrial action that have appeared in recent years.

The book contains step-by-step guidance and forms and precedents to assist practitioners when negotiating and drafting documents. It covers all recent case law including cases from the European Court of Human Rights and decisions from the Central Arbitration Committee. Written by a team of expert barristers, it provides an essential source of reference to all involved in this area.

John Bowers QC is one of the premier employment barristers in the UK, consistently rated as a Leading Silk in employment law by Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500. He is a frequent lecturer on employment law, and a frequent contributor to the Law Society Gazette, New Law Journal and the Industrial Law Journal. He is currently Principal of Brasenose College at Oxford University.

Michael Duggan QC is an employment and commercial Silk at Littleton Chambers who specialises in all areas of employment law, at an individual and collective level, with particular experience of restrictive covenants, large scale wrongful dismissals, financial services, unfair dismissal, whistleblowing, discrimination and harassment and industrial action injunctions.


David Reade QC is a barrister at Littlestone Chambers. He is recognised as one of the country's leading Silks in commercial litigation and employment law, and has extensive experience of collective issues including statutory recognition applications for urgent injunctive relief.


Katherine Apps is a barrister at 39 Essex Chambers. Her practice spans public law, employment, EU, disciplinary, regulatory, and commercial law, especially where there is overlap. She has particular expertise in appellate advocacy. Katherine also contributed to the previous edition of this book.