Clause 18 - Entitlement to vote in ballot
Employment Relations Bill
9:45 am
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk, Conservative)
I have just a couple of points on clause 18. The Minister mentioned the Midland Mainline case. I understand that the raison d'être of clause 18 is to put it beyond doubt that the union does not have to give an entitlement to vote to members who might take part, even though they are not induced to do so by the union. I am not quite clear what happened in the Midland Mainline case. It involved the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, but I am not quite clear who the workers were who felt that they should have been entitled to vote even though they were not induced to do so by the union. Can the Minister clarify that? I can see the purpose of clauses 18 and 19, but if the Minister could shed some extra light on that I would be grateful.