Political fund payers

The number of union members contributing to a political fund rose by 9.6% last year to over 4.4 million, according to the certification officer.

The increase is mainly down to the first-time reporting of 284,216 political fund contributors by the PCS civil service union, and by an 86,000 rise in the number of contributors to public service union UNISON’s fund.

Despite the increase in the number of contributors, the total income of political funds fell by 7% and expenditure rose by 12%.

Two unions had review ballots in the period — the University and College Union and the non-TUC Union of Democratic Mineworkers — both of which went in favour of maintaining the funds.