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07 March 2025 / Charles Pigott
Issue: 8107 / Categories: Features , Employment , Disciplinary&grievance procedures
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A new route for striking workers?

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Could a recent ruling plug the gap in remedies for trade union detriment claims? Charles Pigott considers the scope of the Blacklisting Regulations
  • The Court of Appeal ruling in Morais and others v Ryanair DAC [2025] EWCA Civ 19 has opened a way for striking workers who have been subject to detrimental treatment because of their participation in official industrial action to recover compensation from their employers.

The Court of Appeal’s ruling in Morais and others v Ryanair DAC [2025] EWCA Civ 19 has revealed a new legal route for trade union detriment claims based on the Employment Relations Act 1999 (Blacklists) Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/493) (the Blacklisting Regulations).

Since last year’s Supreme Court ruling in Secretary of State for Business and Trade v Mercer [2024] UKSC 12, it has been clear that workers who have taken part in industrial action are not protected from detriment under s 146, Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (TULRCA 1992). Separate TULRCA 1992 provisions apply to protect workers

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Laytons ETL—Maximilian Kraitt

Laytons ETL—Maximilian Kraitt

Commercial firm strengthens real estate disputes team with associate hire

Switalskis—three appointments

Switalskis—three appointments

Firm appoints three directors to board

Browne Jacobson—seven promotions

Browne Jacobson—seven promotions

Six promoted to partner and one to legal director across UK and Ireland offices

NEWS

From blockbuster judgments to procedural shake-ups, the courts are busy reshaping litigation practice. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School hails the Court of Appeal's 'exquisite judgment’ in Mazur restoring the role of supervised non-qualified staff, and highlights a ‘mammoth’ damages ruling likened to War and Peace, alongside guidance on medical reporting fees, where a pragmatic 25% uplift was imposed

Momentum is building behind proposals to restrict children’s access to social media—but the legal and practical challenges are formidable. In NLJ this week, Nick Smallwood of Mills & Reeve examines global moves, including Australia’s under-16 ban and the UK's consultation
Reforms designed to rebalance landlord-tenant relations may instead penalise leaseholders themselves. In this week's NLJ, Mike Somekh of The Freehold Collective warns that the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 risks creating an ‘underclass’ of resident-controlled freehold companies
Timing is everything—and the Court of Appeal has delivered clarity on when proceedings are ‘brought’. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ, Stephen Gold explains that a claim is issued for limitation purposes when the claim form is delivered to the court, even if fees are underpaid
The traditional ‘single, intensive day’ of financial dispute resolution (FDR) may be due for a rethink. Writing in NLJ this week, Rachel Frost-Smith and Lauren Guiler of Birketts propose a ‘split FDR’ model, separating judicial evaluation from negotiation
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