Recognition law

Unions can only claim recognition rights for employees and workers.

The facts

Entertainment union BECTU claimed recognition rights on behalf of freelance camera workers. The Central Arbitration Committee held that they must be workers because there was no professional body regulating their work.

The ruling

The High Court held that although the existence of a professional regulatory body is not conclusive. In this case it ruled that the freelancers were not workers and could not be covered by recognition law.

* R v CAC [2003] IRLR 460