‘Dear CEO’: Union reps hit chief executive inboxes at 12.03am

Union bosses flooded chief executives’ email inboxes at 12.03am, minutes after new workers’ rights rules came into effect, it has been reported.  

GMB representatives contacted thousands of company chiefs with a template email starting “Dear CEO” on 30 October, according to the Sunday Times. 

The emails reportedly informed bosses of employees’ legal rights to access trade unions. 

GMB is one of the country’s biggest unions and represents hundreds of thousands of workers. Representatives asked to “meet, recruit or organise workers” as soon as legal rights came into effect.

Chief executives were also told about the unions’ right to invite all staff to online meetings which are conducted during work hours. 

The move represents unions’ push to capitalise on new workers rights brought through a new section of e Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. 

“Each week, the GMB will provide one item of union information (for example, a message, bulletin, short video, poster or link). The employer will distribute it, in full and in a stand-alone format, to all workers,” the email said, according to reports. 

The communication must be delivered over channels that a company “normally uses”, such as by email, intranet, Slack or Microsoft Teams, bosses were told.

Union bosses back ‘common sense reforms’

New workers rights though changes to legislation under the Labour government have divided businesses and trade unions. 

The government had to hold crunch negotiations on day one rights for former employees suing bosses for unfair dismissal, leading to a compromise. 

The Office for Budget Responsibility said in October that the new employment rights act would likely damage hiring levels although it did not come to a full assessment. 

Internal government research also showed that workers preferred access to zero hours contracts.

A spokesperson for GMB said: “Good employers know they have nothing to fear from workers having a voice. Those kicking up a fuss might want to ask themselves why they are so frightened of their own staff having the right to speak to a trade union.

“These common-sense reforms will give people a stronger voice at work. They will help rebalance our economy so that everyone can benefit, not just those at the top.”