Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Industrial action / strikesTrade unions

Trade Union Bill: Government to stop automatic payment of union fees

by Jo Faragher 6 Aug 2015
by Jo Faragher 6 Aug 2015 TUC's Paul Nowak said that the move could "poison industrial relations". Photo: Geoff Moore REX/Shutterstock
TUC's Paul Nowak said that the move could "poison industrial relations". Photo: Geoff Moore REX/Shutterstock

The Government has announced plans to stop public-sector workers paying their union subscriptions straight from their salaries.

As part of the upcoming Trade Union Bill, union members will have to arrange for trade union fees to be collected from their bank accounts by direct debit, rather than being deducted from payroll.

Government consultations accompanying Trade Union Bill

Ballot thresholds for taking industrial action in important public services

Tackling intimidation of non-striking workers during industrial action

Hiring agency workers during industrial action

Ministers have justified the move by saying that the process is “outdated”, and the aim is to give workers more control over their subscriptions.

They also estimate that it will save employers more than £6 million a year in administration costs.

Announcing the move, 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.

“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.”

However, unions have attacked the move, claiming that it will “poison industrial relations”.

TUC assistant general secretary Paul Nowak said: “If payroll payment for union membership was outdated, it would not be popular with so many of the UK’s biggest and most successful private companies.

“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.”

The Trade Union Bill was introduced last month, bringing in tougher measures on ballot thresholds and a four-month time limit for industrial action after a ballot.

Unions have already reacted with anger to the new legislation, claiming that it will make industrial action virtually impossible.

Jo Faragher
Jo Faragher

Jo Faragher has been an employment and business journalist for 20 years. She regularly contributes to Personnel Today and writes features for a number of national business and membership magazines. She won the Willis Towers Watson HR journalist of the year award in 2015 and has been highly commended twice.

previous post
Occupational health and ergonomics: two disciplines, one goal
next post
Analytics skills set the “new breed” of HR professional apart

You may also like

Liz Truss comments on Civil Service dismissed as...

12 Aug 2022

Royal Mail strike: Union urges it to ‘get...

10 Aug 2022

Nurses set to vote on strike over pay

9 Aug 2022

RPI inflation forecast to reach 18% says think...

3 Aug 2022

Liz Truss: Diversity jobs cull but U-turn on...

2 Aug 2022

Network Rail pushes ahead with consultation over job...

29 Jul 2022

BT strike: company ‘has stuck two fingers up...

29 Jul 2022

Workers at the UK’s most important port vote...

28 Jul 2022

RMT raises prospect of a general strike

28 Jul 2022

Train drivers set strike date for August

27 Jul 2022
  • 6 reasons why work-based learning is better than traditional training PROMOTED | A recent Fortune/Deloitte survey found that 71% of CEOs are anticipating that this year’s biggest business disrupter...Read more
  • Strengthening Scotland’s public services through virtual recruiting PROMOTED | This website is Scotland's go-to place for job seekers looking to apply for roles in public services...Read more
  • What’s next for L&D? Enter Alchemist… PROMOTED | It’s time to turn off the tedious and get ready for interactive and immersive learning experiences...Read more
  • Simple mistakes are blighting the onboarding experience PROMOTED | The onboarding of new hires is a company’s best chance...Read more
  • Preventing Burnout: How can HR help key workers get the right help? PROMOTED | Workplace wellbeing may seem a distant memory...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+