Stopping industrial action: citizens' rights

You have the right to stop industrial action if it’s unlawful and affects goods or services being provided to you. You must be acting as a citizen and not representing a company.

The industrial action must either be likely to:

  • prevent or have prevented you from receiving any goods or services produced by a company
  • lower or have lowered the quality of those goods and services

This is called the ‘citizen’s right to prevent disruption’.

Apply to the courts for an injunction, which orders:

  • the trade union to stop organising the action
  • those taking action to stop

You can get legal advice if you want to apply for an injunction.