Employment Act 1980

The Employment Act 1980 (c 42) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, passed under the first term of Margaret Thatcher's premiership and mainly relating to trade unions.

The Employment Act 1980[1]

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to provide for payments out of public funds towards trade unions’ expenditure in respect of ballots, for the use of employers’ premises in connection with ballots, and for the issue by the Secretary of State of Codes of Practice for the improvement of industrial relations; to make provision in respect of exclusion or expulsion from trade unions and otherwise to amend the law relating to workers, employers, trade unions and employers’ associations; to repeal section 1A of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1974; and for connected purposes.
Citation	1980 c 42
Territorial extent	Paragraph 7 of Schedule 1 extended to Northern Ireland, but otherwise the Act did not extend there.[2]
Dates
Royal assent	1 August 1980
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended

Overview

It restricted the definition of lawful picketing 'strictly to those who were themselves party to the dispute and who were picketing at the premises of their own employer'.[3]

It also introduced ballots on the existence of closed shops, and at least 80% of the workers in a particular industry need to support them for their maintenance.

See also

• UK labour law

Notes

1. The citation of this Act by this short title was authorised by section 21(1) of this Act. Due to the repeal of that provision, it is now authorised by section 19(2) of the Interpretation Act 1978.
2. The Employment Act 1980, section 21(4) (repealed)
3. Thatcher, Margaret (1993). The Downing Street Years. London: Harper Collins. p. 99. ISBN 0 00 638321 1.

References

• B A Hepple, Paul O'Higgins and Lord Wedderburn of Charlton. Sweet & Maxwell's Labour Relations Statutes and Materials. Second Edition. Sweet & Maxwell. London. 1983. ISBN 0 421 32010 9. pp 446–457.