Join a union and ‘dont miss the boat” on new employment rights coming into force from 18 february urges bwtuc photocall as part “hearts union” week
Workers will need to be in a union to be able to enforce their hard won rights to be treated fairly at work and this will apply to new rights coming into force from 18 February 2026 onwards says BWTUC.
Battersea and Wandsworth Trades Union Council ( BWTUC) will mark Hearts Union Week with a photocall at the Riverbus Pier at Battersea Power Station on Friday 13 February. This is to call on workers to join a union so as not to miss the boat on the new employment rights coming into force from Monday 18 February onwards.
The details of the photocall are as follows:
13.00hrs, Friday 13 Februaary, At the ramp at the Riverbus Pier, Electric Park, Battersea Power Station Battersea London SW11
There will be union members holding a banner saying JOIN A UNION TO ENFORCE RIGHTS AT WORK. They will also have the BWTUC union banner in the picture.
New Employment Rights enter into force following the Employment Rights Act 2025 getting Royal Assent on 18 December 2025 as follows :
February 2026
- Industrial Action Protections: Dismissal for taking part in industrial action becomes "automatically unfair" with no 12-week limit.
- Trade Union Notices: Notice period for industrial action reduces from 14 to 10 days; picket supervisors are no longer required; and industrial action mandates increase from 6 to 12 months.
- Paternity/Parental Leave Notice: Employees newly eligible for the upcoming April 2026 "day one" rights can begin giving notice of their intention to take leave.
April 2026
- Statutory Sick Pay (SSP): Becomes a day-one right (removing the 3-day waiting period). The lower earnings limit is abolished; those earning below it will receive the lower of 80% of earnings or the flat SSP rate.
- Family Leave: Paternity leave and unpaid parental leave become day-one rights, removing previous service requirements (26 weeks and 1 year, respectively).
- Collective Redundancy: The maximum "protective award" for failure to consult doubles from 90 to 180 days' pay.
- Whistleblowing: Reporting sexual harassment becomes a "qualifying disclosure" under whistleblowing law.
- Fair Work Agency: This new single enforcement body is scheduled to be established on 7 April 2026.
October 2026
- Sexual Harassment Duty: Employers must take "all reasonable steps" to prevent sexual harassment (an upgrade from "reasonable steps") and will be liable for third-party harassment by customers or clients.
- Tribunal Time Limits: The time limit for bringing most employment tribunal claims increases from 3 to 6 months.
- Fire and Rehire: Practices involving dismissing and rehiring on worse terms are restricted and may be deemed automatically unfair.
- Tipping Laws: New requirements for employers to consult with workers or unions regarding tipping policies.
January 2027
- Unfair Dismissal: Protection becomes a right after 6 months of service (replacing the current 2-year requirement). The statutory cap on compensatory awards for unfair dismissal is removed.
Later in 2027
- Zero-Hours Contracts: Right to guaranteed working hours and compensation for cancelled or cut-short shifts.
- Flexible Working: Refusal of a request must be "reasonable," and employers must provide a detailed explanation for any refusal.
- Mandatory Action Plans: Equality action plans regarding gender pay gaps and menopause become mandatory for employers with 250+ staff.
Spencer Barnshaw Secretary BWTUC said “ There is a trades union for workers in every sector of the economy and for those with different levels of skills and qualifications. There are unions who recruit and provide important and relevant services to self employed workers.
During the course of the next eighteen months important new employment rights come into force in addition to the full suite of current employment rights.
It is very important for workers to recognise that they will need to be in a union to be able to enforce these hard won rights to be treated fairly at work and this applies equally to new rights coming into force from 18 February onwards.
It is important that those not already members of the relevant union should look into joining. They will be joining organisations that have been in existence for nearly 200 years and are now spread around the world with over 200 million members worldwide.
Workers should visit the TUC website at www.tuc.org.uk to find information on the relevant union for their industry and workplace.
