扒哥吃瓜

Case Number: TUR1/1554(2026)

15 May 2026

CENTRAL ARBITRATION COMMITTEE

TRADE UNION AND LABOUR RELATIONS (CONSOLIDATION) ACT 1992

SCHEDULE A1 - COLLECTIVE BARGAINING: RECOGNITION

DECISION ON WHETHER TO ACCEPT THE APPLICATION

The Parties:

RMT

and

CBRE GWS Limited

1. Introduction

1)聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 RMT (the Union) submitted an application to the CAC on 2 April 2026 that it should be recognised for collective bargaining by CBRE GWS Limited (the Employer) for a bargaining unit comprising of 鈥淎ll non-management employees working on the Network Rail HS1 Facilities Maintenance Contract鈥�. The location of the bargaining unit was given as 鈥淎ll locations.鈥� The CAC gave both parties notice of receipt of the application on 24 April 2026.聽The Employer submitted a response to the CAC dated 29 April 2026 which was copied to the Union.

2)聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In accordance with section 263 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (the Act), the CAC Chair established a Panel to deal with the case.聽 The Panel consisted of Professor Alan Bogg, Panel Chair, and, as Members, Ms. Deborah England and Mr. Christopher Burrows. The Case Manager appointed to support the Panel was Kaniza Bibi.

3)聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The CAC Panel has extended the acceptance period in this case. The initial period expired on 7 May 2026. The acceptance period was extended to 4 June 2026 in order to allow time for the parties to comment on the results of a membership check and for the Panel to consider those comments before arriving at a decision.

2. Issues

4)聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Panel is required by paragraph 15 of Schedule A1 to the Act (the Schedule) to decide whether the Union鈥檚 application to the CAC is valid within the terms of paragraphs 5 to 9; is made in accordance with paragraphs 11 or 12; is admissible within the terms of paragraphs 33 to 42; and therefore, should be accepted.

3. The Union鈥檚 application

5)聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In its application the Union said that it had sent its request for recognition to the Employer on 6 April 2026. The Union stated that the Employer had failed to respond to its request. A copy of the Union鈥檚 request letter was attached to the Union鈥檚 application.聽

6)聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 When asked whether the Union had made a previous application under the Schedule for statutory recognition for workers in the proposed bargaining unit or a similar unit the Union answered no. The Union stated that, following receipt of the request for recognition, the Employer had not proposed that Acas should be requested to assist the parties.

7)聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Union stated that the total number of workers employed by the Employer was 1950. The Union stated that there were 23 workers in the proposed bargaining unit, of whom 9 were members of the Union.

8)聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In answer to the question whether the bargaining unit had been agreed with the Employer, the Union said 鈥淣o鈥�.聽The Union said that there was no existing recognition agreement of which it was aware which covered any workers in the bargaining unit.

9)聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Union confirmed that it held a current certificate of independence. Finally, the Union stated that it had copied its application and supporting documents to the Employer on 22 April 2026. The Union said it consented to its contact details being forwarded to Acas.

4. The Employer鈥檚 response to the Union鈥檚 application

10)聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Employer stated that it had received the Union鈥檚 written request for recognition on 6 April 2026. The Employer said that it had failed to respond to this request but sent a subsequent letter dated 29 April 2026 to the Union, a copy of this Employer鈥檚 letter was attached to its response.

11)聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Employer confirmed that it had received a copy of the application form and supporting documents from the Union on 22 April 2026. The Employer stated that it had not, before receiving a copy of the application form from the Union, agreed the bargaining unit with the Union. The Employer stated that, following receipt of the Union鈥檚 request, it had not proposed that Acas should be requested to assist.

12)聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Employer said that the total number of workers it employed was 21. The Employer said that there were 21 workers in the bargaining unit as defined in the Union鈥檚 application. The Employer did not respond to the question of whether there was an existing agreement for recognition in force covering workers in the proposed bargaining unit.

13)聽聽聽聽聽聽 When asked whether it agreed with the Union鈥檚 estimate of membership within the bargaining unit, the Employer confirmed that it did.

14)聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Employer answered 鈥淣o鈥� when asked whether it was aware of any previous application under the Schedule by the Union in respect of this or a similar bargaining unit, and whether had it received any other applications in respect of any workers in the proposed bargaining unit. The Employer said that it did consent to its contact details being forwarded to Acas.

5. The membership check

15)聽聽聽聽聽聽 To assist in the determination of one of the admissibility criteria specified in the Schedule, namely, whether members of the union constitute at least the required percentage (currently 10%) of the workers in the proposed bargaining unit (paragraph 36(1)), the Panel proposed an independent check of the level of union membership within the proposed bargaining unit.聽It was agreed with the parties that the Employer would supply to the Case Manager a list of the names, dates of birth and job titles of workers within the proposed bargaining unit, and that the Union would supply to the Case Manager a list of its paid-up members within that unit (including their dates of birth). It was explicitly agreed with both parties that, to preserve confidentiality, the respective lists would not be copied to the other party and that agreement was confirmed in a letter dated 30 April 2026 from the Case Manager to both parties.聽

16)聽聽聽聽聽聽 The information requested from the Employer was received by the CAC on 1 May 2026 and from the Union on 30 April 2026. The Panel is satisfied that this check was conducted properly and impartially and in accordance with the agreement reached with the parties.聽聽聽

17)聽聽聽聽聽聽 The list supplied by the Employer indicated that there were 21 workers in the Union鈥檚 proposed bargaining unit. 聽The list of members supplied by the Union contained 9 names. According to the Case Manager鈥檚 report, the number of Union members in the proposed bargaining unit was 7, a membership level of 33.33%.聽

18)聽聽聽聽聽聽 A report of the result of the membership check was circulated to the Panel and the parties on 1 May 2026 and the parties were invited to comment on the results of that check by close of business on 6 May 2026.

6. Summary of the parties鈥� comments following the membership check

19)聽聽聽聽聽聽 Both parties did not send any comments on the membership report by the deadline imposed.

7. Considerations

20)聽聽聽聽聽聽 In determining whether to accept the application the Panel must decide whether the admissibility and validity provisions referred to in paragraph 3 of this decision are satisfied. The Panel has considered all the evidence submitted by the parties in reaching its decision.

21)聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Panel is satisfied that the application is not rendered inadmissible by any of the provisions in paragraphs 33 to 35 and paragraphs 37 to 42 and that it was made in accordance with paragraph 11 of the Schedule. The remaining issue for the Panel to address is whether the admissibility criteria set out in paragraph 36(1) of the Schedule is met.

Paragraph 36(1)

22)聽聽聽聽聽聽 Under paragraph 36(1) of the Schedule an application is not admissible unless the Panel decides that members of the union constitute at least the required percentage of the workers in the proposed bargaining unit. Paragraph 171B states that 鈥渢he required percentage鈥� currently means 10%.

23)聽聽聽聽聽聽 The membership check conducted by the Case Manager (described in paragraph 17 above) showed that 33.33% of the workers in the proposed bargaining unit (9 out of 7 workers) were members of the Union. As stated in paragraph 16 above, the Panel is satisfied that this check was conducted properly and impartially and in accordance with the agreement reached with the parties. The Panel has therefore decided that members of the union constitute at least the required percentage of the workers in the proposed bargaining unit as required by paragraph 36(1) of the Schedule.

8. Decision

24)聽聽聽聽聽聽 For the reasons given above, the Panel鈥檚 decision is that the application is accepted by the CAC.

Panel

Professor Alan Bogg

Ms. Deborah England

Mr. Christopher Burrows

15 May 2026