The Central Arbitration Committee has confirmed that all applications and complaints should, in the first instance, be sent electronically to enquiries@cac.gov.uk. The notice on GOV.UK was last updated on 22 December 2025 and serves as the Committee’s current intake guidance for users.
The CAC is an independent labour-relations body whose caseload is dominated by statutory trade union recognition and derecognition matters under Schedule A1 to the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. It also deals with disputes concerning European Works Councils and other transnational information and consultation frameworks.
Across several jurisdictions, GOV.UK guidance indicates that there is often no dedicated application form. For European Works Councils, cross‑border mergers and European companies, applicants are asked to email with their own and the other party’s contact details, the relevant Regulation number, and a brief statement of the complaint, directing this to enquiries@cac.gov.uk.
For statutory trade union recognition under Schedule A1, unions should use the CAC’s application form, set out the proposed bargaining unit and provide evidence of support, while ensuring the employer receives a copy of the application and supporting documents. Employers may challenge admissibility under the statutory tests.
Where conduct issues arise around recognition or derecognition ballots, the CAC provides a specific “unfair practices” route under paragraph 27B of Schedule A1, supported by a dedicated complaint form published on 25 September 2025.
After an application or complaint is submitted, the CAC acknowledges receipt, invites a response from the other party, identifies the panel and assigns a case manager. Depending on the issues, the process may include further information requests, an informal meeting or a formal hearing before a decision is issued.
Users should distinguish casework submissions from service complaints. Service concerns can be raised via the general email, and if unresolved, GOV.UK directs complainants to write to the CAC’s Chief Executive, with the option of referral to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman through an MP if still dissatisfied.
For HR teams, union officials and worker representatives, the immediate action is to use email as the first channel, state clearly which jurisdiction you are invoking by citing the relevant Regulation or Schedule provision, include full contact details for both parties, and summarise the issue succinctly. GOV.UK confirms this approach for EWC, cross‑border and European company matters.
Some GOV.UK pages retain postal details for particular regimes, but the CAC’s current instruction is that initial contact should be electronic. Practitioners should treat email as the default first step before any subsequent case management stages.
For planning purposes, the CAC’s 2024–25 Annual Report records 63 recognition applications in the year and an average of 22 weeks from receipt to conclusion for a Part I statutory recognition case. This offers a realistic timeline for resourcing evidence gathering and negotiations.