UNISON members in England, Scotland and Wales have voted overwhelmingly to retain the union’s political fund, which enables UNISON to take part in political activity.
Of the 187,598 members who participated, 96.7% voted to keep the political fund.
UNISON’s political fund has two sections: Labour Link and the Campaign Fund.
Labour Link takes the union’s campaign objectives into the Labour party and supports members to become MPs and councillors.
The Campaign Fund provides all the resources for our pro-public service campaigns, our equalities campaigns and the work that we do to combat the far right. Members choose which part of the fund to support – and can also pay into both.
UNISON is required to hold a ballot every ten years under anti-trade union legislation first introduced by the Thatcher government in 1984, which was designed to silence the campaigning voice of working people and defund the Labour party.
The 2024 ballot was open for one month, between 15 July and 16 August 2024.
In response to the results, UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said: “The ballot result is an overwhelming vote in favour of keeping our members’ campaign voice and I want to thank everyone who took part.
“The reason so many members voted to keep the fund is because they see the difference it makes.
“Be it securing Labour commitments to the New Deal for Working People through our Labour Link or supporting UNISON’s work with Hope not Hate and Show Racism the Red Card through our Campaign Fund, both sections of the fund have never been more important. I am proud that our members value this part of our work so highly.”
Statutory notice for members who joined the union before 1 March 2018
Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (as amended)
A resolution approving the furtherance of political objects within the meaning of the above Act as an object of the union has been adopted by a ballot under the Act.
Any payments in the furtherance of any of those objects will be made out of a separate fund, the political fund of the union. Every member of the union has a right to be exempt from contributing to that fund.
A form of exemption notice can be obtained by or on behalf of any member either by application at, or by post from, the head office or any branch office of the union or from the Certification Office for Trade Unions and Employers’ Associations, Certification Office 11th Floor, 14 Westfield Avenue, London, E20 1HZ United Kingdom.
This form, when filled in, or a written request to the like effect, should be handed or sent to the secretary of the branch to which the member belongs.
