Unison votes to keep political fund

Members of Unison have voted by a wide margin to keep the political fund, which allows it to undertake political campaigning activities.

Eighty-five per cent of those who voted approved the move, but the turnout was low at just under 20 per cent. Under union legislation, unions have to ballot their members every ten years if they wish to retain the political fund.

General secretary Dave Prentis said: “This result is a clear indication that our members want their union to speak up for them in the political arena as well as in the workplace. They understand that increasingly we need to make the case to politicians as well as employers.

“We will be asking the Government to repeal the Tory laws that require all unions to re-ballot members on the political fund every 10 years. Our membership has made their feelings very clear once again – whether it is campaigning for decent pensions or fighting against racism, trade union issues are political issues too.”