Earlier this year the Government asked Bruce Carr QC to conduct an independent review into the law governing industrial disputes following allegations of intimidation of managers during the Grangemouth oil refinery dispute. The terms of reference required the effectiveness of the existing legal framework to be examined and to make proposals and recommendations for change. On 5 August 2014, Carr published a statement indicating his concern about: (i) the quantity and breadth of evidence that the Review has been able to obtain from both employers and trade unions; and (ii) the ability of the Review to operate in a progressively politicised environment in the run up to the general election. That being the case, Carr believes there is not enough substantial evidence from which to provide a sound basis for making recommendations for change. Therefore, the Review will produce a scaled-down report which reflects on the process of attempting to obtain evidence and which sets out the story as best it is able to tell it.

Content Note

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