Department for Employment and Learning

The Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005 S.R. 2005 No. 47

Notice is hereby given that the Department for Employment and Learning, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 43 of the Employment Relations Act 2004 and of every other power enabling it in that behalf, has made a Statutory Rule entitled The Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005.

These Regulations implement Directive 2002/14/EC of the European Parliament and Council which establishes a general framework for informing and consulting employees in Member States. The Regulations establish a right to new minimum standards for workforce communication and involvement in undertakings. The issues about which employees must be informed and consulted include the firm’s economic and employment situation and prospects, and any proposals for change of ownership or collective redundancies.

The Regulations make provisions for employers and employees to negotiate information and consultation agreements, endorse existing agreements and, in specific circumstances, apply standard information and consultation arrangements provided for in the legislation. The Regulations will apply to undertakings with 50 employees or more and will be phased in between 2005 and 2008, applying first to those with 150 or more employees (April 2005), then to those with 100 or more (April 2007) and finally to those with 50 or more (April 2008).

The Regulations will come into operation on 6 April 2005.

Printed copies of the Order are available from the Stationery Office Bookshop, 16 Arthur Street, Belfast BT1 4GD. ISBN 0 337 95842 4, priced £5.00.