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Controversial law will abolish ‘check-off’ union subs in public sector

The “outdated practice” of automatically deducting trade union subscriptions from the salaries of public sector workers will be abolished under the Trade Union Bill.

The government has announced the move today (6 August) as a way to “modernise the relationship between employees and their preferred trade unions” while removing administration responsibilities from the employer.

Currently the practice of ‘check-off’ across all public sector organisations means workers who are union members have their membership fees taken directly from their salary by employers.

Cabinet Office minister Matthew Hancock MP said: “In the 21^st century era of direct debits and digital payments, public resources should not be used to support the collection of trade union subscriptions.

“It’s time to get rid of this outdated practice and modernise the relationship between trade unions and their members. By ending check-off we are bringing greater transparency to employees – making it easier for them to choose whether or not to pay subscriptions and which union to join.”

The check-off process was introduced at a time when many people didn’t have bank accounts and direct debits or digital payments weren’t a convenient and secure way of transferring money.

Now the removal of check-off will give trade members greater control over their subscription, restrict the public cost of ‘facility time’ subsidies and give employees greater consumer protection under the Direct Debit Guarantee, according to the government.

The updated legislation will fall under the Trade Union Bill to facilitate the policy being adopted across the whole public sector.

However several trade union leaders disputed Conservative claims that payroll deductions are outdated, and branded it an attack on their members.

Paul Nowak, assistant general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, said check-off would not be popular with “so many of the UK’s biggest and most successful private companies” if it was indeed outdated.

He said: “The public will see this for what it really is – yet another attack on union members from a government that is determined to rebalance power in the workplace so that workers lose their voice and their rights. And it goes hand-in-hand with new proposals that threaten the right to strike.

“Instead of going out of their way to poison industrial relations, the government should work positively with workers and their representatives for the good of public services and the economy.”

Gail Cartmail, Unite assistant general secretary, also attacked the move, calling it “another spiteful measure from the Conservatives at a time when working people need unions like never before”.

She added: “It is a crude attempt to starve trade unions of money, money that is then used every day to promote training, workplace safety and hold up decent pay for millions of working people throughout the UK.

“This is nothing other than unnecessary interference by a government that has not got a clue about the reality of working life and the vital role unions have in workers’ lives.”

Cartmail also stated that the Thatcher government failed to bring in the same legislation because workers knew that “unionised workplaces are safer, better paid and better protected against bullying bosses”.

“This government will suffer a backlash from this too for people will see this for what it is – another needless, malicious attack on the people who are the backbone of our public services.

“And for the majority-female low-paid public sector workforce – health visitors, carers, cleaners and cooks – this is now the triple whammy. On top of the pay cap and end of working family tax credit, they now have to contend with this attack on their union.”

The Tory party had already tried to abolish the check-off process in Whitehall during the last Parliament, but were blocked by the Liberal Democrats.

Some central government departments, including the Home Office, HM Revenue & Customs and the Ministry of Defence, have already removed check-off.

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