Dear Brother/Sister,
You may be aware that the government has introduced a Trade Union Bill.
This Bill is currently going through Parliament and could become law before the end of 2015.
The Tory government has announced that it intends to make it illegal for local government employers, including Fire & Rescue Services, to collect union subscriptions on behalf of any union. Currently this is done through a process called €œcheck-off€ where employers collect union subscriptions directly from members pay and then pass these on to the union.
The removal of this facility will require members to use an alternative method to maintain their payments on a regular basis. It is our intention to move to a method of payment by direct debit.
Members will be contacted over the coming weeks in order to make the necessary arrangements for this transition.
It is our aim to make this transaction as easy for members as possible to ensure all members remain protected while at work.
Please check your notice board regularly and also the union's website www.fbu.org.uk for further information in the coming weeks.
Best Wishes,
Yours fraternally,
Matt Wrack
General Secretary
MW/JM/jr
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