9.—F12[(1) Where an employer or a responsible person proposes to create collective redundancies, he or she shall, with a view to reaching an agreement, initiate consultations with employees’ representatives.]

(2) Consultations under this section shall include the following matters—

(a) the possibility of avoiding the proposed redundancies, reducing the number of employees affected by them or F13[F14[mitigating their consequences] by recourse to accompanying social measures aimed, inter alia, at aid for redeploying or retraining employees made redundant],

(b) the basis on which it will be decided which particular employees will be made redundant.

(3) Consultations under this section shall be initiated at the earliest opportunity and in any event at least 30 days F15[before the first notice of dismissal is given].

F16[(4) Where an employer has initiated consultations with employees’ representatives under this section, a responsible person may continue any consultation so initiated.]