WORLDTECHGoogle lets Prospect union recruit at UK offices under new access law
Google has agreed to let the trade union Prospect recruit among its UK staff inside company offices, including its King's Cross headquarters in London, according to a report by Bloomberg. The arrangement follows a new UK law that gives unions a right to access workplaces.
What the agreement allows
Bloomberg reports that the arrangement, announced on Monday, gives Prospect two channels: direct conversations with Google employees, both in person and online, and sessions at Google's workplaces explaining how to join a union.
The law behind the access deal
The agreement comes after a new UK law, in force since Friday, that grants unions a right to access workplaces. Employers that keep refusing access can face fines of up to £500,000.
Prospect signed a similar deal with Meta in September.
Google's UK workforce and Prospect's aims
Google employs more than 7,000 people in the UK. Prospect wants to sign up enough members to seek formal recognition from the company, which would give it a say over pay, flexible working and how AI is rolled out.
Open questions
- Will Prospect sign up enough Google members to seek formal recognition?