Edinburgh Napier University

  Purpose: The paper responds to calls for ‘best practice’ on how trade unions may respond to member voting threshold requirements of the Trade Union Act 2016 (the Act). A broader aim is to make a theoretical contribution related to trade union organising and tactics in ‘get the vote out’ (GTVO) industrial action organising campaigns.
Design/methodology/approach: A retrospective action-research case study of one branch of the University and College Union (UCU) is used to show how threshold requirements of the Act can be systematically beaten.

Findings: Findings are presented via first-hand accounts of the lead organiser of a successful GTVO campaign, and more widely discussed in relation to theories of organising. The findings represent ‘best practice’ for union organisers required to beat the Act’s voting thresholds. The findings contribute to theories surrounding trade union organising tactics.

Research limitations/implications: Further development and adaptation of the proposed model when applying to larger bargaining units and for different organising contexts may be required.
Practical implications: The findings can inform the organising practices/tactics of trade unions in relation to statutory ballots. The findings also allow HRM practitioners to reflect on dealings with unions capable of mounting successful GTVO campaigns under the Act.

Social implications: The findings have the potential to collectively empower workers, via their trade unions, to defend and further their interests in a post-financial crisis context and in the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Originality/value: This is the first known empirical account of organising to exceed voting thresholds of the Act, providing practical steps for organisers organising around statutory ballots. Further value is in terms of the paper being based on a novel first-hand account of a GTVO campaign, leading to a new and first theoretical model of organising/tactics to beat the Act.