Meta opens UK workforce to Prospect union ahead of 2026 deadline

Meta has agreed to give Prospect union access to all 5,000 of its UK employees, allowing the union to discuss membership and recruit workers. The agreement comes ahead of an October 2026 deadline for compliance with further union rules under the Employment Rights Act 2025.

From 30 October, employers will face additional requirements to inform workers about their right to join a union, provide unions with greater workplace access, strengthen protections for union representatives, and give workers greater protection during industrial action. Earlier reforms took effect in February this year.

Meta said employees who want to learn about union membership now have a straightforward way to do so. Prospect General Secretary Mike Clancy said Meta deserved credit for reaching a voluntary agreement instead of waiting for the new Right of Access.

Prospect has more than 160,000 UK members across technology, broadcasting, creative industries, defense and education. Official statistics cited in the report show union membership falling from 28.8% of employed people in 1995 to 19.9% in 2025. The report also says membership rose to 20.4% in 2025 ahead of the Employment Rights Bill. It points to industrial change, legislation introduced under Margaret Thatcher in the 1990s, and concerns about AI-related job displacement as factors in the decline and possible renewed interest.