Thread regarding Dell Inc. layoffs

UK: CWU Trade Union Requests Access to Dell UK Sites

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has formally written to Dell UK requesting voluntary access to UK workplaces, allowing union representatives to engage directly with employees, explain their employment rights, and provide information about trade union membership and representation.

This is a request for workplace access, not an application for formal trade union recognition.

What happens next?

Under the new UK Employment Rights Act 2025 framework, which introduced statutory workplace access rights from 30 October 2026, the following process applies to qualifying statutory requests:

  • 15 working days: Dell must respond to a formal statutory access request.
  • 25 working days: Where access is not agreed in full, a negotiation period allows the employer and union to seek agreement.
  • Compulsory access: If agreement cannot be reached, the union can apply to the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC), which has powers to determine and enforce workplace access arrangements.

Access may include physical visits to Dell offices, digital communications, or a combination of both.

Dell must inform employees of their trade union rights

From 1 January 2027, new legislation will require employers, including Dell UK, to provide workers with written information explaining their right to join a trade union.

This represents an important strengthening of employee awareness and workplace rights.

The wider employment reforms are being implemented in stages throughout 2026 and 2027.

Why is this particularly relevant to Dell UK employees?

The request comes during a period of considerable uncertainty across Dell UK, including:

  • Ongoing restructuring and redundancies.
  • Office relocations and increased commuting pressures for affected employees.
  • Growing dissatisfaction surrounding commission structures and compensation arrangements.
  • Uncertainty about the potential impact of artificial intelligence on existing roles and future employment.
  • Employee frustration surrounding the implementation of new internal tools and systems, that perhaps have created additional operational challenges.

Against this backdrop, access to independent workplace advice, representation and support is increasingly important.

What does this mean for employees?

Trade union membership is a legal right in the UK. Employees are entitled to join an independent trade union, seek advice and obtain representation where applicable.

Employees do not need their employer’s permission to join a union, and membership does not depend on the union being formally recognised by Dell.

Union membership can provide access to independent advice and representation on matters including redundancy, restructuring, workplace grievances, disciplinary proceedings and employment rights.

In the current climate, we would strongly recommend that Dell UK employees seriously consider joining a trade union.

With continued restructuring, changes to working arrangements and increasing uncertainty about the future of employment, independent representation and access to professional advice may prove increasingly valuable.

Employees should understand their rights, know their options and make informed decisions about their future.


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| 38 views | | 10 replies (last 2 days ago) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+1m6zmnhaa

10 replies (most recent on top)

How can we get this in the US? We NEED IT!!! Maybe if Dell realized that the entire company is dissatisfied they will idk... do better to make us happy? aka realistic and liveable raises, gasp promotions! and you know, incintivise the people who are making the execs rich af?

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Post ID: @hj+1m6zmnhaa

@cw Companies threatening to offshore UK jobs should consider the wider consequences. Dell generates billions in UK revenue, makes substantial profits and distributes significant sums to shareholders overseas.

UK consumers and taxpayers may think twice about supporting companies that profit from Britain while cutting British jobs.

Threats to offshore jobs are largely a moot point when the issue could attract cross-party political support, including from Labour, Conservatives and Reform UK.

You cannot keep profiting from the UK while stripping away British jobs and expect taxpayers and consumers to keep supporting you.

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Post ID: @d2+1m6zmnhaa

If Unionization gives companies a hard time and eventually doesn't work, you can bet that all companies will initiate some sort of exodus of workers to far off places. We are fooked.

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Post ID: @cw+1m6zmnhaa

@cb Hypothetically, if Dell were to close its UK sites and offshore a significant number of jobs to Bangalore, it would raise legitimate questions about the company’s long-term commitment to the UK economy.

Dell generates billions of dollars in revenue from the UK market. While businesses must remain competitive and make commercial decisions, there is also a reasonable expectation that companies benefiting substantially from the British market contribute through employment, taxation and continued investment.

If, hypothetically, Dell were generating over $5 billion in UK revenue while maintaining only a minimal domestic workforce, questions would inevitably arise about the balance between its commercial interests and its contribution to the wider UK economy.

Such a decision would likely attract scrutiny from Members of Parliament, government ministers and major UK customers, particularly within the public sector.

It is also reasonable to suggest that this approach would not sit comfortably with the leadership of Reform UK, given the party’s stated emphasis on British employment, domestic investment and national economic interests.

Ultimately, this is not an argument against globalisation or international business operations. It is about recognising that companies operating successfully in major markets have broader economic responsibilities, and that decisions affecting domestic employment can carry political, commercial and reputational consequences.

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Post ID: @ck+1m6zmnhaa

♡♡♡NEWFLASH♡♡♡

DELL will be shuttering all U.K. sites & warns other countries of the same.

(((We'll just offshore all of your arses.to Bangalore)))

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Post ID: @cb+1m6zmnhaa

@OP Great will embrace union representation in UK let’s hope this helps.

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Post ID: @c6+1m6zmnhaa

@av Let’s be absolutely clear. We do not want a confrontational relationship with Dell. Quite the opposite.

What we want is a company where employees can wake up on a Monday morning without feeling stressed or anxious about their jobs, their pay, constantly changing internal tools, the next round of redundancies or what the future holds.

We want a positive, constructive relationship between Dell and its employees, built on mutual respect, transparency, fairness and trust.

We want Dell to succeed. A successful Dell should mean a secure, motivated and valued workforce. These objectives are not mutually exclusive.

However, we are equally clear that we are prepared to use every legitimate avenue available to us, including trade union representation, employment legislation and parliamentary scrutiny, to ensure employees’ rights and interests are protected.

Let’s also remember something important. Dell employees, like hundreds of thousands of other technology workers across Britain, are UK taxpayers and voters. We contribute significantly to the British economy, our communities and the public finances. Our concerns deserve to be heard by both employers and elected representatives.

This should never be about employees versus Dell. It should be about employees and Dell working together to build a better, fairer and more sustainable workplace. It is reasonable to ask a US multinational to respect UK employment law.

Ultimately, we want people to feel proud to work for Dell again, rather than worried about what Monday morning might bring.

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Post ID: @b9+1m6zmnhaa

@az I wouldn’t be so sure that Dell doesn’t care.
As an active member of the Conservative Party in the UK, I can assure you that senior figures within the party are taking a considerable interest in employment legislation and its implications for major multinational employers operating in Britain.

We have MPs prepared to use parliamentary privilege to raise questions about our campaign and challenge the relevant government ministers, including Jonathan Reynolds MP, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, and Kate Dearden MP, Minister for the Future of Work.

It is worth remembering that employment rights legislation has developed under successive Conservative and Labour governments. While the Employment Rights Act 2025 became law under Labour, it builds upon an established legislative framework, and protecting workers’ rights is not exclusively a Labour Party issue. There is scope for considerable cross-party cooperation on ensuring that major employers respect UK employment law.

There is also a significant financial argument here.

Dell Corporation Limited reported revenue of approximately £3.014 billion in FY24 and £3.084 billion in FY25, representing growth of around 2.3%. Reported FY26 profit has risen to approximately £77 million.

These figures raise legitimate questions about Dell’s UK employment strategy, particularly against the backdrop of restructuring, redundancies, office relocations and the potential movement of jobs offshore.

The CWU’s request for voluntary access to Dell UK sites is entirely reasonable. Employees deserve the opportunity to understand their employment rights and make informed decisions about trade union membership without fear or misinformation.

Dell may be an American multinational, but it operates under British employment law. Its treatment of UK employees is a legitimate matter for parliamentary scrutiny.

I certainly wouldn’t underestimate the political interest this campaign could attract, particularly when UK jobs, employment rights and corporate accountability are at stake.

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Post ID: @b7+1m6zmnhaa

They don’t care about UK labor laws lol.

If anything, this could give them an excuse to ditch the country entirely and just move everything to India.

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Post ID: @az+1m6zmnhaa

Good. I hope they get skewered by the union and treat their employees with the respect and dignity they deserve.

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Post ID: @av+1m6zmnhaa

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