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Section 70ZA: Access agreements

Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 · 1992 c. 52View on legislation.gov.uk

Part I: Trade Unions — Chapter 5ZA: Right of trade unions to access workplaces

This section applies for the purposes of this Chapter.

An "access agreement" is an agreement between a qualifying trade union and an employer that—

provides for one or more officials of the union to physically enter a workplace or communicate with workers (or both) for any of the access purposes, and
is entered into under section 70ZD or is treated as having been entered into under section 70ZE.

A "qualifying trade union" is a trade union that has a certificate of independence.

"Access" means—

physical entry into a workplace;
communication with workers.

A reference to communication with workers is a reference to communication with workers (including the provision of information to workers) by any means, whether directly or indirectly.

The "access purposes" are—

to meet, support, represent, recruit or organise workers (whether or not they are members of a trade union);
to facilitate collective bargaining.

But the access purposes do not include organising industrial action.

Sections 70ZB to 70ZF contain provision about entering into access agreements.

Section 70ZG contains provision about the variation or revocation of access agreements.

Sections 70ZH to 70ZK contain provision about the enforcement of access agreements.

Section 70ZL contains general limitations on the provision that may be made under this Chapter, including in access agreements.

About this text

This legislation text comes from legislation.gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. These source and reuse terms cover the legislation text, not Remedy's commentary.

Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.