Section 218 — Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992: Meaning of “trade dispute" in Part IV.

Meaning of “trade dispute" in Part IV. 218 1 In this Part “ trade dispute ” means a dispute between employers and workers, or between workers and workers, which is connected with one or more of the following matters—

a terms and conditions of employment, or the physical conditions in which any workers are required to work;

b engagement or non-engagement, or termination or suspension of employment or the duties of employment, of one or more workers;

c allocation of work or the duties of employment as between workers or groups of workers;

d matters of discipline;

e the membership or non-membership of a trade union on the part of a worker;

f facilities for officials of trade unions;

and g machinery for negotiation or consultation, and other procedures, relating to any of the foregoing matters, including the recognition by employers or employers’ associations of the right of a trade union to represent workers in any such negotiation or consultation or in the carrying out of such procedures.

2 A dispute between a Minister of the Crown and any workers shall, notwithstanding that he is not the employer of those workers, be treated for the purposes of this Part as a dispute between an employer and those workers if the dispute relates—

a to matters which have been referred for consideration by a joint body on which, by virtue of any provision made by or under any enactment, that Minister is represented, or b to matters which cannot be settled without that Minister exercising a power conferred on him by or under an enactment.

3 There is a trade dispute for the purpose of this Part even though it relates to matters occurring outside Great Britain.

4 A dispute to which a trade union or employer’s association is a party shall be treated for the purposes of this Part as a dispute to which workers or, as the case may be, employers are parties.

5 In this section— “ employment ” includes any relationship whereby one person personally does work or performs services for another; and “ worker ”, in relation to a dispute to which an employer is a party, includes any worker even if not employed by that employer.