A new survey has found that three in four employers (76%) think that the various sides involved in strike action should seek mediation from Acas to resolve their dispute. 

Acas offers a free service called collective conciliation that can mediate between employers and trade unions to help resolve disputes.

The YouGov poll asked respondents whether they thought the various sides in dispute taking strike action should involve Acas. Only 8% said that they should not use Acas and 16% didn’t know.

Acas Chief Executive, Susan Clews, said:

“Acas has an excellent track record and decades of experience in resolving disputes between employers and trade unions. However, this service is voluntary so we can only help if all the parties involved in a dispute are willing to explore how conciliation can help them reach a resolution.

“Using an independent impartial Acas conciliator in a long running dispute can help bring a calm, fresh pair of eyes to identity common ground between the sides in dispute and find a way forward, which can help break a deadlock.

“We stand ready to help and Acas has seen a 20% rise in demand for our collective conciliation compared to the same period last year. This help has included confidential background support to the parties involved in strike action.”

Acas also commissioned YouGov to ask employees whether they thought the various sides in dispute taking strike action should involve Acas. 71% of employees surveyed said they should; 6% said they should not; and 23% didn’t know.

Acas has experienced and skilled conciliators that can offer a confidential space in talks to help parties in dispute find a mutually acceptable resolution.

They can help to identify areas of common ground, clarify differences and draw on their knowledge of industrial relations to help the parties move towards workable solutions.

Acas collective conciliators are independent and impartial. This means they do not take sides or impose solutions. They’re there to help both parties find a solution that everyone agrees to.

The majority of Acas’s collective conciliation work takes place before formal talks. It is a period of ‘pre-talk support’. This can include sharing information informally between parties, educating them on different options about talks, exploring those options and discussing the support needed for the negotiators.

Acas handles around 500 collective disputes every year. For more information, please see: www.acas.org.uk/collective-conciliation