The Central Arbitration Committee has updated its GOV.UK notice to request that all applications and complaints are submitted electronically, using enquiries@cac.gov.uk as the primary intake route. The notice was last updated on 18 December 2025 and is intended to streamline case handling and ensure timely receipt.
Applications and complaints handled by the CAC include statutory recognition and de‑recognition under the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, disputes under the Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 2004, and matters linked to European Works Councils, European Companies and cross‑border mergers where jurisdiction lies in Great Britain. The email‑first instruction applies across these routes.
For an initial submission by email, the CAC does not require a universal application form. Parties should set out the applicant’s details, the other party’s details, the relevant regulation or statutory provision, and a brief statement of the grounds. These requirements mirror the information requested in the CAC’s guidance for European Works Councils and European Companies and are accepted across regimes.
Once an application or complaint is received, the CAC acknowledges it and invites the other party to respond. A case manager is assigned as the point of contact, and a three‑member panel is identified; the panel may propose an informal meeting or convene a hearing before issuing a written decision. These steps are set out consistently across CAC procedural notes.
Organisations preparing statutory recognition applications should note the thresholds in CAC guidance. Where more than 50% of workers in the proposed bargaining unit are union members, the CAC may declare recognition without a ballot; otherwise a ballot is held and recognition requires both a majority of votes cast and support from at least 40% of the bargaining unit. The statutory scheme generally applies only where the employer has at least 21 workers.
Jurisdiction remains a key consideration. The CAC’s remit covers England, Scotland and Wales. Where central management or the relevant parties are in Northern Ireland, comparable applications go to the Industrial Court, and certain cross‑border mergers and European Works Council matters are expressly routed there under government guidance.
Accessibility and data protection arrangements are published by the CAC. Parties who need accessible formats for standard documents, including those used for disclosure of information complaints under section 183 TULRCA 1992, are asked to request these via enquiries@cac.gov.uk. The personal information charter explains the legal basis the CAC cites for processing, including Article 9(2)(f) GDPR for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims, and provides a general enquiries telephone number: 0330 109 3610.
If the issue concerns the CAC’s service rather than a case decision, the published complaints route applies. Complain first to the official handling the matter; if still unsatisfied, write to the CAC Chief Executive at the postal address provided, and unresolved service complaints may be taken to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman via an MP. This route is separate from casework submissions and does not pause statutory time limits.
For practitioners, the immediate action is straightforward: prepare a concise email to the CAC that sets out the parties, cites the relevant regulation or statutory provision, and summarises the grounds, attaching supporting documents where available. Using the email channel establishes a clear timestamp for deadlines and avoids postal delays while the case manager initiates the next steps.