COMPANIES with more than 50 employees could soon be forced to consult their employees on major business decisions.

Under the Employee Consultation Rights Bill, workers must be involved with developments such as redundancies, working practices and contracts of employment.

Leading North West solicitors Cobbets said companies would pay a heavy price for ignoring their workers when the bill was enacted by Parliament.

The penalty for failing to inform and consult is that each affected worker could claim up to four weeks' gross pay.

Partner Judith Watson said: "If enacted, these new rights will be welcomed by employees and representatives, but not by most employers.

"They will see them as yet another attempt to restrict flexibility and the way they run their own business."