The government is to end the practice of ‘check off’ in the public sector, whereby trade union subscription payments are taken automatically from workers who are members via payrolls administered by the employer, and will require all union members to switch to direct debit payment.
The abolition of the check off process in the public sector will be included in the Trade Union Bill currently going through parliament, with new legislation requiring union members to set up arrangements to pay their subscriptions, rather than this being left to employers.
Cabinet Office minister Matthew Hancock said: ‘In the 21st 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‘It’s time to get rid of this outdated practice and modernise the relationship between trade unions and their members.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.’
This announcement follows the earlier removal of check off by a number of central government departments including HMRC, the Home Office, and Ministry of Defence.
In 2013 the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) took the Department for Communities and Local Government to court to delay removal of check off, and in March this year the union said it was launching a High Court case against the Department for Work and Pensions to the High Court over the issue.
There is widespread concern among trade union officials that the move could see a drop in membership subscriptions. In the run up to the abolition of check off at the HMRC in April this year, the PCS ran a campaign urging its members to switch to direct debits which reported a 70% success rate in advance of the change.
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