Recognition

Where are we now? #

As of 5 August 2026, Prospect, Prospect Union members and Skyscanner have reached an agreement to move forward with a voluntary union recognition ballot on 24 August 2026. Both parties have signed the formal agreement, marking the next stage in the recognition process.

This comes after June 2025 last year, when union members voted to start working towards voluntary recognition. On 10 April 2026, we submitted our formal request to Skyscanner requesting voluntary recognition.

What is recognition? #

The gov.uk site has a good description of both voluntary and statutory recognition, but the following is a summary.

In order to negotiate as a group or “bargain collectively” over working conditions, the union need to be “recognised” by Skyscanner. Recognition is what will give you the benefits you usually associate with unions, including but not limited to consultation and collective agreement about pay.

There are two paths to recognition:

Voluntary recognition is where Skyscanner voluntarily agrees to collectively bargain with you. Voluntary agreements can cover many topics and usually encompass negotiation over many terms and conditions of employment.
Statutory recognition is where Skyscanner must collectively bargain with you as is guaranteed in UK law. Statutory recognition agreements are limited to pay, hours, and holiday entitlement.

Voluntary recognition is the best option for both employers and workers since it gives both parties the most flexibility in forming their agreement and carrying out collective bargaining.

Why now? #

Union membership has grown significantly in the past year thanks to you and your colleagues' efforts, and we're stronger than ever.

The bargaining unit #

A requirement for voluntary recognition is identifying a group of workers who would benefit from bargaining together.

Following Prospect members' vote in June 2025 to pursue voluntary recognition, the union submitted an initial proposal for the bargaining unit. As part of the negotiations, Prospect Union members and Skyscanner discussed the scope of the bargaining unit and agreed on the following:

UK employees of Skyscanner Technology Limited excluding J+ employees. This includes:

Software Engineers,
Systems Engineers,
Data Scientists,
Security Engineers,
Product Managers,
Product Designers,
Content Designers,
Product Researchers,
Localisation,
and any other roles introduced whose employer is Skyscanner Technology Limited.

It represents a compelling collection of disciplines integral to product delivery at Skyscanner, and uses Skyscanner’s own company organisation as its template.

This group has a lot in common. These workers tend to contribute together, in teams with each other to achieve the same company goals.

One Union #

By law UK trade union recognition applies only to employees in the UK, so colleagues based in other countries cannot be included in a UK bargaining unit. Skyscanner already has policies that differ by location, such as location-specific pay and benefits, so recognition would not introduce geographical differences that do not already exist. Skyscanner has also described a desire to equalise policies where possible, so our hope is bargaining in the UK can benefit employees worldwide in many cases.

The scope of the bargaining unit was discussed throughout the voluntary recognition negotiations. The original proposal, defined by Prospect Union members in June 2025, included UK-based J+ individual contributors. During discussions, both parties recognised the benefits of a broader bargaining unit, and Prospect members even proposed including employees of Skyscanner Limited. The parties ultimately agreed on a simpler bargaining unit.

The proposed bargaining unit also ensures we’re not leaving smaller groups of workers behind in either the J+ group or Skyscanner Limited. Those groups of workers are large enough to form their own bargaining groups. Additionally, the bargaining unit does not have to be fixed forever. As a recognised union, we and Skyscanner can agree to amend its scope in the future if circumstances change or if there is support for expanding it.

This is our first bargaining group, and our goal is that every employee of Skyscanner has a bargaining group that represents them.

What is covered under the agreed voluntary recognition? #

The agreement sets out the minimum topics Skyscanner must negotiate or consult on. This doesn't prevent the union and Skyscanner from discussing additional topics where there is a shared interest in doing so.

As part of standard recognition you get the right to collectively negotiate on behalf of the bargaining unit over the following key policies:

Pay
Working hours
Holiday

It also give you the right to be informed and consulted on a range of workplace matters, including:

Collective redundancies
TUPE transfers
Certain pension scheme changes
Health and safety
Learning and training
Changes to the Capability, Disciplinary, Grievance, Training policies

As part of the negotiations, Skyscanner also agreed to formalise a Performance Management Policy, which will now be included within the scope of consultation.

What's next #

A ballot will be held between 24 August and 11 September where all members of the bargaining unit will have a say whether they would want the union to be recognised or not.

Fellow union members and Prospect representatives will be visiting all the UK offices:

Edinburgh, 25th August: 1-2 PM
London, 25th August: 1-2 PM
Glasgow, 26th August: 1-2 PM

Additionally, webinars will be available on the following dates:

1st September: 6-7 PM
2nd September: 2-3 PM

Will Prospect be negotiating on my behalf if recognition passes? #

Negotiations will be led by Skyscanner employees elected or appointed to represent the bargaining unit. Prospect will support and advise the bargaining team, but just as with our initial agreement negotiations, employees will negotiate on behalf of their colleagues.

Does recognition mean I can't talk directly with my manager? #

Recognition does not replace your day-to-day relationship with your manager. You will still be able to discuss your work, performance, pay progression, flexible working, career development, and any other individual matters directly with them.

Recognition simply means that, on issues affecting the bargaining unit as a whole, such as pay and other agreed collective matters, employees will have elected colleagues who negotiate with the company on everyone's behalf.

What happens if we vote no? #

We are locked out of going for another ballot for three years. It will provide evidence of lack of support for union recognition, which makes a future voluntary agreement less likely.

What happens next if we vote yes? #

We are recognised as a union!

The agreement lasts for one year at which time Skyscanner and Section 787 will meet to evaluate how the relationship is working. If either side decides that things are not working they can break off the agreement with 3 months' notice.