Report of the Royal Commission on Trade Unions and Employers’ Associations
Encyclopedia
The Report of the Royal Commission on Trade Unions and Employers’ Associations (1968) Cmnd 3623, known as the "Donovan Report", was an inquiry into the system of collective UK labour law, chaired by Lord Donovan and heavily influenced by one if its main authors, Sir Otto Kahn-Freund.
. The recommendation was put into the Industrial Relations Act 1971
. Exclusive jurisdiction to hear complaints and give remedies was conferred upon the newly created National Industrial Relations Court
. The Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1974
soon replaced the unfair dismissal provisions, as was the National Industrial Relations Court with a system of Industrial Tribunals, since renamed Employment Tribunals. These have one legally qualified chairperson and two lay members, one representing unions and the other representing employers.
The present law is found in the Employment Rights Act 1996
.
Overview
The Donovan Report recommended a statutory system of remedies for unfair dismissalUnfair dismissal
Unfair dismissal is the term used in UK labour law to describe an employer's action when terminating an employee's employment contrary to the requirements of the Employment Rights Act 1996...
. The recommendation was put into the Industrial Relations Act 1971
Industrial Relations Act 1971
The Industrial Relations Act 1971 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, since repealed. It was largely based on proposals outlined in the governing Conservative Party's manifesto for the 1970 general election...
. Exclusive jurisdiction to hear complaints and give remedies was conferred upon the newly created National Industrial Relations Court
National Industrial Relations Court
The National Industrial Relations Court was established on 1 December 1971 under Section 99 of the Industrial Relations Act 1971. The NIRC was created by the Conservative government of Ted Heath as a way to limit the power of trades union in the United Kingdom...
. The Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1974
Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1974
The Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1974 was a UK Act of Parliament, now replaced by the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1992. The 1974 Act was introduced by the Labour Government, and both repealed and replaced the Conservatives' Industrial Relations Act 1971...
soon replaced the unfair dismissal provisions, as was the National Industrial Relations Court with a system of Industrial Tribunals, since renamed Employment Tribunals. These have one legally qualified chairperson and two lay members, one representing unions and the other representing employers.
The present law is found in the Employment Rights Act 1996
Employment Rights Act 1996
The Employment Rights Act 1996 is a United Kingdom Act of Parliament passed by the Conservative government to codify the existing law on individual rights in UK labour law. Previous statutes, dating from the Contracts of Employment Act 1963, included the Redundancy Payments Act 1965, the...
.
Contents
- Chapter I. Introduction
- Chapter II. The Subject Matter of Our Report
- Chapter III. The System of Industrial Relations
- Chapter IV. The Reform of Collective Bargaining
- Chapter V. The Extension of Collective Bargaining
- Chapter VI. The Efficient Use of Manpower
- Chapter VII. Strikes and Other Industrial Action
- Chapter VIII. The Enforcement of Collective Agreements
- Chapter IX. Safeguards of Employees Against Unfair Dismissal
- Chapter X. Labour Tribunals
- Chapter XI. Safeguards for Individuals in Relation to Trade Unions
- Chapter XII. Trade Unions
- Chapter XIII. Employers' Associations
- Chapter XIV. Changes in the Law
- Chapter XV. Workers' Participation in Management
- Chapter XVI. Summary of the Main Conclusions and Recommendations