The Industrial Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1992

Enforceability of collective agreements

26.—(1) Subject to paragraph (3), any collective agreement (whether made before or after the coming into operation of this Article) shall be conclusively presumed not to have been intended by the parties to be a legally enforceable contract unless the agreement—

(a) is in writing; and

(b) contains a provision which (however expressed) states that the parties intended that the agreement shall be a legally enforceable contract.

(2) Any such agreement which satisfies the conditions in paragraph (1)(a) and (b) shall be conclusively presumed to have been intended by the parties to be a legally enforceable contract.

(3) If any such agreement is in writing and contains a provision which (however expressed) states that the parties intend that one or more parts of the agreement specified in that provision, but not the whole of the agreement, shall be a legally enforceable contract, then—

(a) the specified part or parts shall be conclusively presumed to have been intended by the parties to be a legally enforceable contract; and

(b) the remainder of the agreement shall be conclusively presumed not to have been intended by the parties to be such a contract, but a part of an agreement which by virtue of this sub-paragraph is not a legally enforceable contract may be referred to for the purpose of interpreting a part of that agreement which is such a contract.

(4) Notwithstanding anything in paragraphs (2) and (3), any terms of a collective agreement (whether made before or after the coming into operation of this Article) which prohibit or restrict the right of workers to engage in a strike or other industrial action, or have the effect of prohibiting or restricting that right, shall not form part of any contract between any worker and the person for whom he works unless the collective agreement—

(a) is in writing; and

(b) contains a provision expressly stating that those terms shall or may be incorporated in such a contract; and

(c) is reasonably accessible at his place of work to the worker to whom it applies and is available for him to consult during working hours; and

(d) is one where each trade union which is a party to the agreement is an independent trade union;

and unless the contract with that worker expressly or impliedly incorporates those terms in the contract.

(5) Paragraph (4) shall have effect notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in any agreement (including a collective agreement or a contract with any worker).