High Court win over check-off

The PCS civil service union has won a High Court claim over HMRC’s removal of the check-off facility, through which members paid their union subscriptions directly from their salaries.

It was the fifth victory in a series against government departments, several of whom began unilaterally withdrawing the facility almost a decade ago.

Previous victories came against the (then) Department for Communities and Local Government, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Home Office and the Department for Food and Rural Affairs.

Reinforcing the earlier decisions, the High Court ruled that PCS members in HMRC have a contractual right to-check off, that HMRC breached that contract by withdrawing it, and that PCS is entitled to damages as a third party to the contract.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “The withdrawal of the check-off facility was a naked attempt by the government to bankrupt our union.

“We have beaten off that attempt through magnificent organising efforts and we are holding them to account in the courts for their unlawful actions.”