Emergency motion - E2 Check-off

Congress 2014 - Emergency motion

E2   Check-off

Congress notes with concern that on 1 September 2014 the Home Office announced the withdrawal of check-off with effect from 1 December 2014.

Since the end of July a number of civil service departments have announced that they are considering ending check-off.  Congress notes that the Minister for the Cabinet Office, Francis Maude, urged government departments to review check-off and has stated that it is undesirable.

A number of government departments have consulted civil service unions, with a view to giving three months notice of the withdrawal of check-off.  PCS sought assurances from departments that they would continue with check-off.  However, by 31 August, all departments  had refused to give such assurances.

If check-off facilities are withdrawn in government departments this will give the green light to employers across the public sector, and private companies, to withdraw from check-off arrangements.

Congress believes that check-off is an important and well established trade union right, and notes that withdrawing check-off has been used by right-wing regimes as an attempt to undermine trade union membership and income.

Congress calls on the TUC to:

1. urgently lobby all government ministers, asking them to continue to provide check-off arrangements in their departments
2. lobby the Labour Party to include in their election manifesto a statutory right to have union subscriptions deducted through salary by check-off
3. launch a campaign to defend the right to check-off and counter the government anti-union rhetoric in the media.

Mover: Public and Commercial Services Union