Statutory Instruments
2026 No. 1103
TRADE UNIONS
The Code of Practice (Right of Trade Unions to Access Workplaces) Order 2026
Made
at 11.48 a.m. on 19th October 2026
Laid before Parliament
at 3.00 p.m. on 19th October 2026
Coming into force
30th October 2026
The Secretary of State makes this Order in exercise of the powers conferred by section 204(3) of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992(1) (“the 1992 Act”).
Under section 203(1)(a) of the 1992 Act, the Secretary of State may issue Codes of Practice containing such practical guidance as the Secretary of State thinks fit for the purpose of promoting the improvement of industrial relations.
Under section 203(1)(a) of the 1992 Act, the Secretary of State proposed to issue a Code of Practice on the Right of Trade Unions to Access Workplaces (“the Code of Practice on the Right of Trade Unions to Access Workplaces”).
Under section 204(1) of the 1992 Act, the Secretary of State, after consultation with the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, prepared and published a draft of the Code of Practice on the Right of Trade Unions to Access Workplaces.
Under section 204(1) of the 1992 Act, the Secretary of State considered representations made to the Secretary of State about the draft of the Code of Practice on the Right of Trade Unions to Access Workplaces and modified the draft accordingly.
Under section 204(2) of the 1992 Act, the Secretary of State laid the draft of the Code of Practice on the Right of Trade Unions to Access Workplaces with the title “Code of Practice: Right of trade unions to access workplaces”, before both Houses of Parliament, the draft was approved by resolution of each House of Parliament and the Secretary of State is issuing the Code of Practice on the Right of Trade Unions to Access Workplaces in the form of that draft.
Citation, commencement, extent and interpretation
1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Code of Practice (Right of Trade Unions to Access Workplaces) Order 2026.
(2) This Order comes into force on 30th October 2026.
(3) This Order extends to England and Wales and Scotland.
(4) In this Order—
“ the 1992 Act ” means the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 ( 2 );
“ the Code of Practice ” means the Code of Practice on the Right of Trade Unions to Access Workplaces( 3 ) issued by the Secretary of State under section 203(1)(a) and 204(2) of the 1992 Act which was laid in draft before both Houses of Parliament on 6th July 2026 and approved by a resolution of the House of Commons on 9th September 2026 and approved by a resolution of the House of Lords on 14th October 2026.
Appointed day for the Code of Practice
2. The Code of Practice comes into effect on 30th October 2026.
Kate Dearden
Minister of State
Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade
at 11.48 a.m. on 19th October 2026
The full title of the Code is “Code of Practice: Right of trade unions to access workplaces”.