header-logo header-logo

Home Login E-newsletter About us
31 July 2015 / John McMullen
Issue: 7663 / Categories: Features , Employment
printer mail-detail

Sticking together?

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.
nlj_7663_mcmullen

The issues of information & consultation on collective redundancies have been revisited, observes John McMullen

Issues concerning the employer’s duty to inform and consult on collective redundancies continue to occupy the courts.

Usdaw & its sister litigation

In USDAW and Wilson v WW Realisation 1 Ltd (in liquidation), Ethel Austin Ltd and Secretary of State for Business Innovation an Skills (Case C-80/14), the European Court decided that, for the purposes of compulsory information and consultation on collective redundancies under the EU Collective Redundancies Directive 98/59 (and also s 188 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (TULRe(C)A 1992)), where the obligation arises where 20 or more employees are to be dismissed at any one “establishment”, the word “establishment” means the unit which the workers made redundant are assigned to carry out their duties, rather than the organisation as a whole.

The court has confirmed this interpretation in two further cases, Lyttle v Bluebird UK Bidco 2 Limited (Case C-182/13) and Cañas v Nexea Gestión Documental SA, Fondo de Garantía Salarial (Case C-392/13)

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Read All
Sponsored by
Weightmans—Elborne Mitchell & Myton Law

Weightmans—Elborne Mitchell & Myton Law

Firm expands in London and Leeds with dual merger

Boodle Hatfield—Clare Pooley & Michael Duffy

Boodle Hatfield—Clare Pooley & Michael Duffy

Private wealth and real estate firmpromotes two to partner and five to senior associate

Constantine Law—James Baker & Julie Goodway

Constantine Law—James Baker & Julie Goodway

Agile firm expands employment team with two partner hires

NEWS
Read All
NLJ this week: Mazur and more—inside the litigation frontline

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

NLJ this week: Social media bans for children spark legal dilemmas
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
NLJ this week: Leasehold reform risks creating ‘forgotten freeholders’
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
NLJ this week: Court of Appeal clarifies when a claim truly begins
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
NLJ this week: Split FDRs could ease pressure—and boost settlements
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
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
back-to-top-scroll