The legal Environment

Question 1

What do competition laws in general try to do ?

Answer 1

They intend to protect businesses and consumers from the effects of anti-competitive practices. As the UK government believes that free and fair competition in markets bring many benefits.

Question 2

What are the 3 major competition laws in the UK ?

Answer 2

• Competition act, 1998
• Enterprise act, 2002
• Enterprise and regulatory reform act, 2013

Question 3

Competition Act, 1998

Answer 3

• This acts prohibits cartels and abuses of dominant market positions. It outlaws concerted practice.

For example, when businesses agree to divide up a market and not to compete in each others part of the market.

Question 4

Enterprise Act, 2002

Answer 4

This act amended the Competition Act and strengthened the power of the UK authorities to deal with market dominance.
- Placed clear focus on the impact of businesses activities on the degree of competition.
- Imposed tougher penalties on those involved in cartels by criminalising their activities.
- Empowered consumer organisations to make complaints to the CMA about markets that are not working well for consumers.

Question 5

Enterprise and Regulatory reform act, 2013

Answer 5

Aim was to provide financial support to businesses with environmentally friendly business practices.
Simplified and strengthened laws relating to equality in employment.
Created the CMA

Question 6

Labour laws

Answer 6

• Working time regulations, 1998
• National minimum wage act, 1998
• Employment equality regulations, 2006
• Equalities act, 2010
• Enterprise and regulatory reform act, 2013
• Employment act, 1980
• Employment relations act, 1999
• Trade unions

Question 7

Working time regulations, 1998

Answer 7

• Set a limit on the hours that employees can be required to work each week to 48 hours.
• Employees can opt to work more hours if they want to but employers cannot insist they do so.

Question 8

National minimum wage act, 1998

Answer 8

employees had to be paid a certain minimum wage rate and if they didn’t pay it as a minimum then penalties/fines for the employers.

Question 9

Employment Equality Regulations, 2006

Answer 9

• Aims to stop discrimination against workers under the age of 65 on the grounds of age.

Question 10

Equalities act, 2010

Answer 10

• Employees within the workplace are protected by this act. The act relates to 9 protected characteristic : age, disability, race, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, religion/belief, pregnancy or maternity, sex, sexual orientation.
• makes unfair treatment unlawful

Question 11

Enterprise and Regulatory Reform act, 2013

Answer 11

Imposed additional charges on employees wishing to take employers to industrial tribunals in disputes over employment.

Question 12

Employment Act, 1980

Answer 12

Employers were no longer obliged to negotiate with unions, many unions were derecognised as a consequence.

Question 13

Employment Relations Act, 1999

Answer 13

Any trade union with a membership exceeding 50% of employees can demand union recognition and the right to introduce collective bargaining.

Question 14

Trade Unions

Answer 14

A body which acts as a voice for employees. The typical activities of trade unions include providing assistance and services to their members, collectively bargaining for better pay and conditions for all workers, working to improve the quality of public services, political campaigning and industrial action