Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will take steps to encourage the use of alternative dispute mechanisms in the context of resolving collective disputes; and if she will make statement.

The Government considers that the resolution of workplace disputes is a matter for the parties involved. The Government has established a dispute resolution framework to enable the resolution of workplace disputes as early as possible.

Where there is a collective dispute between an employer and their employees, represented by a trade union, the Government believes that strikes should be a last resort. It is better to resolve disputes through dialogue wherever possible. The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) stands ready to assist the parties in reaching an agreement, where they both accept its involvement.