HC Deb 21 January 1985 vol 71 cc285-6W
Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has concerning the number of employees covered by union dues check-off systems in (a) the public sector and (b) the private sector.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

Information on the number of employees covered by check-off arrangements is not available. However according to the 1980 workplace industrial relations survey 65 per cent. of all public sector and 35 per cent. of all private sector establishments employing manual workers operated check-off arrangements. The corresponding figures for non-manual workers were 62 per cent. in the public sector and 18 per cent. in the private sector. A TUC survey in 1979 suggested that some 50 per cent. of union members were covered by check-off arrangements.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) whether he has any plans to introduce legislation on the subject of the union dues check-off system;

(2) what steps he intends to take to deal with abuses of the union dues check-off system;

(3) if he will introduce legislation to prohibit the automatic deduction by employers from the wages of employees of trade union subscriptions.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

The Trade Union Act 1984 has already dealt with a serious abuse of the check-off system by making it unlawful for employers to deduct the political levy from the pay of trade union members who have notified them that they have contracted out. My right hon. Friend and I will be considering the whole question of deductions from pay as part of our current consultations on protection of wages.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what representations he has received recently concerning the union dues check-off system;

(2) what information he has concerning the number of reported abuses of the union dues check-off system; and how many of these cases resulted in criminal prosecutions.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

We have recently received several representations from the director of the Construction Plant Hire Association about the collection of trade unions subscriptions by check-off, some of which have been passed on to us by the hon. Member for Macclesfield. We are not aware of any abuses of this system which have led to criminal prosecutions but there are problems associated with, for example, the deduction of compulsory, special union levies which have given cause for concern.