{"id":196301,"date":"2026-03-17T05:27:23","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T05:27:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/?p=196301"},"modified":"2026-03-18T23:49:46","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T23:49:46","slug":"workers-on-strike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/workers-on-strike\/","title":{"rendered":"Can My Workers Go on Strike?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Maintaining a motivated and productive workforce is essential for your business\u2019 success. However, disputes can arise and in some cases, your employees may consider strike action. While this can be disruptive, UK law sets out a clear framework that balances employee rights with employer protections. This article helps you understand this framework and assist you in managing risks and responding appropriately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Understanding Strikes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A strike is a form of industrial action where your employees refuse to work. This can be because of a dispute with your business\u2019 management. For example, if you propose reducing working hours, employees may strike to pressure you to reconsider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Importantly, strikes are usually a last resort after negotiations fail. Industrial action does not always mean a full strike. It can also include overtime bans or \u201cgo-slows\u201d, where employees work more slowly on purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who Can Strike?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Most of your employees that participate in a strike are members of a trade union. However, being a union member is not a requirement to participate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>non-union employees may join strike action; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>agency workers are to continue working, but may choose to participate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n<a href=\"#content-next\"\n   class=\"block p-4 mt-10 text-xl font-bold text-center text-white no-underline bg-gray-800 rounded-t-xl\">\n    Continue reading this article below the form\n    <i class=\"text-xl fa-regular fa-arrow-down\"><\/i>\n<\/a>\n<div class=\"px-6 pt-10 pb-12 mb-10 text-center bg-gray-100 rounded-b-xl sm:px-12 test\">\n    <div class=\"mb-8 text-2xl font-bold text-orange\">\n        Need legal advice?\n        <br>\n        <span class=\"text-lg not-prose\">\n                            Call <a href=\"tel:+448081968584\" class=\"not-prose\">0808 196 8584<\/a> for urgent assistance.\n                <br>\n                Otherwise, complete this form, and we will contact 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If negotiation with you does not work, trade unions often campaign collectively and take industrial action, such as strikes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When are Strikes Lawful?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Not all strikes are lawful. Strict <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/strikes-lockouts\/\">legal requirements<\/a> must be met, for a strike to be considered &#8216;protected&#8217;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During a protected strike legal claims to the trade union such as business disruption may not be applicable. In addition to you, you cannot <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/labours-new-workers-rights-bill\/\">dismiss employees<\/a> who participate in the strikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To qualify as protected industrial action:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>a valid ballot with most union members voting in favour;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>the dispute must relate to employment matters; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>the union must give you notice of the ballot result and intended action.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div  class=\"box box--icon box--idea\">\n    <p>You may ask employees whether they intend to strike. However, they may not confirm in advance and change their decision at any time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pay and Benefits During Strikes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You do not have to pay wages or benefits like pension contributions for any period an employee is on an official strike. However, you must pay:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>annual leave pay;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>sick leave pay &#8211; If your employee follows normal procedures for reporting sickness; and&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>other statutory leave pay, such as maternity or paternity pay.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The deductions from your employee\u2019s pay should only be the amount that your employee would have earned during the strike period. This calculation would be made with reference to their employment contract and their usual salary payment terms. You cannot deduct pay if the employee was not supposed to work on the day of the strike.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Continuous Employment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A common question for business owners is whether an employee\u2019s absence due to strike action affects their <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/breaks-between-employment-contracts\/\">continuous employment<\/a>. If an employee returns to work after the strike, their continuous employment remains unbroken. In other words, there is no break in their employment with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the period spent on strike does not count towards the employee\u2019s length of service. This is important when calculating entitlements such as statutory redundancy pay or pension benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dismissing Employees During Strikes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If your employees go on strike, they will generally be in breach of their employment contract. However, your ability to dismiss them will depend on several factors, including whether the industrial action is official or unofficial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div  class=\"box box--icon box--star\">\n    <p>Employees are only protected from dismissal or disciplinary action if the industrial action is official and meets the legal requirements.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In particular, <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/dismissing-staff\/\">dismissing an employee<\/a> within the first 12 weeks of participating in protected industrial action will usually be considered automatically unfair. In some cases, this protection may extend beyond 12 weeks. This will apply where the industrial action:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>results from a properly conducted ballot;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>relates to a genuine trade dispute between the employer and employees; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>is supported by the required notice to the employer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Importantly, you should avoid selective dismissals or decisions based on automatically unfair reasons, such as pregnancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are considering dismissing employees involved in unlawful industrial action, you should apply a consistent approach to all employees who participated in the same action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Preparing for a Potential Strike&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before employees vote on industrial action, you may take steps to understand the situation and prepare for any potential impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Communicating with Employees and Understanding the Issues<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You may explain your position in discussions with the trade union so employees understand the business context. This communication should be clear and factual, and should not interfere with the voting process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div  class=\"box box--icon box--info\">\n    <p>It is also important for you to understand the reasons behind the dispute. These may go beyond pay and include other workplace concerns raised earlier.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Assessing Your Workforce and Planning for Disruption<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As the vote approaches, you should review your workforce. This includes identifying which employees are trade union members and which teams may be most affected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You should consider:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>reviewing whether you have enough skilled staff to continue key operations if a strike goes ahead;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>potential impact on your business;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>informing customers and suppliers about possible delays; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>explaining how you are managing the situation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Can I Do Post-Strike?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>After a strike, you should focus on rebuilding trust and a positive environment. Reflect on what drove the disagreements between you and your employees, make any necessary changes, communicate openly, offer supportive resources and demonstrate your commitment to improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n    <div class=\"my-7 lg:my-10 border-y-2 border-gray-100 py-7 lg:py-10 flex flex-col sm:flex-row items-start gap-10\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"w-52 mx-auto my-0! rounded\" src=\"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/14011310\/LegalVision-UK-Guide-to-UK-Employment-Disputes.jpg\" alt=\"Front page of publication\"\n                 loading=\"lazy\" width=\"208\" height=\"298\">\n                <section>\n            <div class=\"text-2xl font-bold\">Guide to UK Employment Disputes<\/div>\n            <div class=\"body-text\">\n                <p>Learn how to manage employment disputes and protect your business from legal action. <\/p>\n            <\/div>\n            \n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/go.legalvision.co.uk\/guide-to-uk-employment-disputes.html\" class=\" block px-5 py-3.5 max-w-fit bg-orange button__hover transition rounded text-white font-bold text-lg no-underline uppercase leading-tight text-center\" target=\"\" rel=\"\">Download Now<\/a>        <\/section>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Employees can go on strike if legal requirements are met, including a valid union ballot and proper notice. You generally do not have to pay employees while they are on strike, except for certain statutory entitlements. You cannot dismiss employees taking part in protected strike action within the first 12 weeks. Strike action does not break continuous employment, but strike days do not count towards length of service. Preparing early, understanding the issues and planning for disruption can help reduce business impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>LegalVision provides ongoing legal support for businesses through our fixed-fee legal membership. Our experienced <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment-lawyers-lp\/\">employment lawyers<\/a> help businesses manage contracts, employment law, disputes, intellectual property, and more, with unlimited access to specialist lawyers for a fixed monthly fee. To learn more about LegalVision\u2019s legal membership, call <a href=\"tel:+448081968584\" class=\"AVANSERnumber dynamic-number\">0808 196 8584<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/membership\/\">visit our membership page<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1773724156526\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Can I dismiss employees for going on strike?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">You cannot automatically dismiss employees for participating in official and protected strike action within the first 12 weeks. After 12 weeks, some protections remain, so dismissals related to the strike should be very carefully considered in consultation with an employment lawyer.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1773724164553\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Do I have to pay employees while they are on strike?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">No, you do not have to pay wages or benefits like pension contributions for any period an employee is on an official strike. However, you must still pay statutory entitlements like annual leave, sick leave, and other legal requirements.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1773724173986\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Will a strike impact my employees&#8217; continuous service?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">The days spent on an official strike do not count toward length of service calculations. However, if employees return after the strike, their period of continuous employment remains unbroken.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n<div class=\"not-prose m-feedback-prompt\">\n    <!-- Thumbs up\/down bar -->\n    <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__main\">\n        <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__title\">Was this article helpful?<\/div>\n        <div>\n            <!--span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button--text\">Thanks!<\/span-->\n            <button type=\"button\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button m-feedback-prompt__button--yes\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:yes\" aria-label=\"Agree\">\n                <i class=\"fa-regular fa-thumbs-up fa-3x\"><\/i>\n            <\/button>\n            <button type=\"button\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button m-feedback-prompt__button--no\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:no\" aria-label=\"Disagree\">\n                <i class=\"fa-regular fa-thumbs-down fa-3x\"><\/i>\n            <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Feedback form -->\n    <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form\">\n        <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--thanks \">\n            <div>Thanks!<\/div>\n            <p>\n                We appreciate your feedback \u2013 your submission has been successfully received.            <\/p>\n        <\/div>\n        <form id=\"contact-form\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--form\" action=\"\" method=\"post\">\n            <input type=\"hidden\" id=\"authenticity_token\" name=\"authenticity_token\" value=\"29d45c3efd\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wp_http_referer\" value=\"\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196301\" \/>            <input value=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/workers-on-strike\/\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"currenturl\"\n                   id=\"currenturl\">\n            <input value=\"Can My Workers Go on Strike?\u00a0\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"currenttitle\"\n                   id=\"currenttitle\">\n            <label>\n                <!-- display on thumbs-up -->\n                <span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__feedback m-feedback-prompt__feedback--yes\">\n                    Can you tell us <span class=\"font-semibold\">why<\/span> you found it helpful?\n                <\/span>\n\n                <!-- display on thumbs-down -->\n                <span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__feedback m-feedback-prompt__feedback--no text-lg\">\n                    How can we better improve this article?\n                <\/span>\n                <textarea name=\"feedbackmessage\" id=\"feedbackmessage\" required><\/textarea>\n            <\/label>\n\n            <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--error\" id=\"form-submit-error\"><\/div>\n            <button id=\"submit-contact-form-button\" type=\"submit\" name=\"commit\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--submit\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:submit\">\n                Submit            <\/button>\n        <\/form>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Maintaining a motivated and productive workforce is essential for your business\u2019 success. However, disputes can arise and in some cases, your employees may consider strike action. While this can be disruptive, UK law sets out a clear framework that balances employee rights with employer protections. This article helps you understand this framework and assist you<a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/workers-on-strike\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"sr-only\">&#8220;Can My Workers Go on Strike?\u00a0&#8220;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13458,"featured_media":3124,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[21,22,23,103,2603],"class_list":["post-196301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-employment","tag-medium-business","tag-alternative-dispute-resolution","tag-mediation","tag-business-owner","tag-employee-strike"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized 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She assists on a broad range of Commercial Contract matters, as well as Corporate matters.","url":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/author\/malaikahkhattak\/"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/workers-on-strike\/#faq-question-1773724156526","name":"Can I dismiss employees for going on strike?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"You cannot automatically dismiss employees for participating in official and protected strike action within the first 12 weeks. After 12 weeks, some protections remain, so dismissals related to the strike should be very carefully considered in consultation with an employment lawyer.","inLanguage":"en-GB"},"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/workers-on-strike\/#faq-question-1773724164553","name":"Do I have to pay employees while they are on strike?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"No, you do not have to pay wages or benefits like pension contributions for any period an employee is on an official strike. However, you must still pay statutory entitlements like annual leave, sick leave, and other legal requirements.","inLanguage":"en-GB"},"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/workers-on-strike\/#faq-question-1773724173986","name":"Will a strike impact my employees' continuous service?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The days spent on an official strike do not count toward length of service calculations. However, if employees return after the strike, their period of continuous employment remains unbroken.","inLanguage":"en-GB"},"inLanguage":"en-GB"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196301","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/13458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=196301"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196301\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":196357,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196301\/revisions\/196357"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/3124"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=196301"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=196301"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=196301"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}