The Church of England Diocese of Leicester reports that its Bishop’s Council has approved a voluntary union recognition agreement with trade union Unite to represent its clergy and lay staff. The agreement covers the Diocesan Board of Finance, Leicester Cathedral, the Bishop of Leicester and Church of England Clergy and Employee Advocates (CEECA), which is part of the Faith Workers Branch of Unite.

The agreement covers all clergy holding the bishop’s licence for ministry in the diocese and staff employed by the Bishop’s Office, the cathedral and Leicester Diocesan Board of Finance, a registered charity with around 92 employees. It does not cover employees of parochial church councils because each PCC is a separate charity in its own right.

The Diocese explained that the agreement

“doesn’t bind any employee or member of clergy to become a member of the union and neither does it prevent those who may already be members of other unions from calling on their own union representatives to represent them in any future HR processes.

The agreement means that the diocese recognises the importance of trade union representation for healthy employment relations; the union’s responsibility to represent its members interests; and the importance of good practice in matters of employment and office-holding.

It also commits the diocese to consulting with the union on matters of interest to clergy and staff in relation to their employment or (if office-holders) engagement (such as pay, health and safety, and equal opportunities), and to further developing well-being, diversity, equity and inclusion, and anti-harassment policies and procedures for clergy, staff and applicants.”

The Bishop of Leicester said that he was pleased to have entered the voluntary agreement with CEECA:

“I hope the agreement serves as a reflection of our close working as a diocese with CEECA over recent years and our commitment to supporting the wellbeing of our clergy, authorised lay ministers, and staff.”