Firefighters, along with almost 3.8 million other public sector workers, are at serious risk of losing the right to pay their union subscriptions directly from their pay packets, a process known as “check-off” which has been a right of trade union members since the post-war period.
Union members can, at the moment, choose to pay this way or by direct debit – 97% of FBU members pay through check-off at the moment.
The government’s Trade Union Bill would make check-off an “outdated practice”.
The removal of this right is not simply about modernising – as the Tory government would have us believe – it is a significant and deliberate threat to members and their unions.
Check-off is easy – no forms have to be filled in and the subscription just comes directly from employees’ pay, alongside other deductions like tax, national insurance and pension contributions.
Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: “The end of check-off isn’t about modernising or saving money. It’s about government hostility to trade unions, making the lives of workers harder still, on top of all the other restrictions they are imposing through this new Bill.
“All of our members need to make the switch to direct debit so that, if and when the Trade Union Bill is passed and check-off is no longer an option, you won’t lose your union protection.
“These are trying times for our movement, and we mustn’t let tactics like this new infringement of our rights undermine our strength which is, without doubt, the intention.”
