Government attempts to end the system of collecting PCS union subs from salaries in the civil service are an attack on the union, TUC Congress heard.
Emergency motion 2, proposed by PCS delegate Helen Flanagan on Wednesday morning, expressed concern that since the end of July a number of civil service departments have announced that they are considering ending check-off, the decades-old method of collecting union subs.
The minister for the Cabinet Office, Francis Maude, has described check-off as "undesirable" and urged government departments to review it.
A number of departments have consulted civil service unions, with a view to giving 3 months' notice of the withdrawal of check-off. At the end of August PCS sought assurances from departments that they would continue with the system but by the time consultation ended on 31 August, all departments had refused to give such assurances.
The Home Office notified PCS on 1 September that it intends to withdraw check-off and we are signing up members to pay their subs by direct debit.
Important right
The motion stressed that check-off is an important and well-established trade union right and noted that its withdrawal has been used by right-wing regimes, such as that of governor Scott Walker in Wisconsin and Commodore Frank Bainimarama in Fiji, as an attempt to undermine union membership and income.
Helen said: "Check-off is only undesirable if you want to break a union. They do. They want to stop us fighting. If the government succeeds we can't be there for our members in their workplaces.
"The government's actions give the green light to many hostile employers who will want to cut union income streams. This union busting will not succeed."
She said the Labour party should be urged to include the defence of check-off in its 2015 general election manifesto.
Vindictive attack
The POA seconded the motion and general secretary Steve Gillan said that the attacks on check-off should be seen as "an injury to one is an injury to all" and explained that the POA had seen it withdrawn in the 1990s.
He said: "This is an unnecessary, vindictive attack on PCS because thay have had the audacity to stand up to the government and take industrial action and strike action across the civil service to protect their members."
The motion, which was carried unanimously, called on the TUC to:
Urgently lobby all government ministers, asking them to continue to provide check-off
Lobby the Labour party to include an election manifesto pledge on the right to have union subs deducted through salary by check-off
Launch a campaign to defend the right to check-off and counter the government anti-union rhetoric in the media.
Secure your rights
If you're a PCS member help secure your rights at work by registering to pay your subs by direct debit
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