The Central Arbitration Committee has confirmed that all applications and complaints should first be submitted electronically to enquiries@cac.gov.uk. The notice appears on GOV.UK and was last updated on 30 December 2025, signalling the preferred initial channel for casework.
The CAC’s remit spans several regimes. It deals with disputes over information and consultation arrangements, matters under the European Public Limited‑Liability Company and UK Societas employee‑involvement rules, complaints about unfair practices in union recognition or derecognition, and complaints concerning an employer’s failure to disclose information for collective bargaining.
Where no standard form exists, applicants should email their name and contact details, the other party’s details, the relevant regulation, and a short statement of the complaint to the enquiries address. This approach is set out in the CAC’s European Companies guidance.
For cases where forms are published-such as disclosure of information under section 183 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 or an unfair practices complaint during a recognition ballot-parties should complete the relevant document and submit it by email. Accessible formats can be requested via the same inbox.
After receipt, the CAC will acknowledge the application or complaint, invite the other party to respond, confirm the panel members and identify the case manager. Next steps can include requests for more information, an informal meeting, or a formal hearing leading to a written decision.
Service complaints follow a separate route. Concerns should first be raised with the official handling the matter or via the enquiries inbox; if unresolved, correspondence should be addressed to the Chief Executive, Maverlie Tavares, PO Box 78137, London SW1P 9XE. Unresolved service complaints may be referred by an MP to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
Jurisdiction is Great Britain for most CAC regimes. The unfair practices application applies in England, Scotland and Wales, while European Companies and UK Societas matters are taken in Great Britain with separate provision for Northern Ireland via the Industrial Court.
For HR teams, union officials and advisers, the operational takeaway is straightforward: route initial filings through the enquiries inbox, cite the legislative provision underpinning the case, and attach any published forms and supporting documents. Where email is impracticable, some guidance continues to reference postal submission alongside electronic filing.