Clause 36 — Duty to Provide Membership Audit Certificate

Part of Medical Innovation (No. 2) – in the House of Commons at 3:15 pm on 11 September 2013.

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Photo of John Martin McDonnell John Martin McDonnell Labour, Hayes and Harlington 3:15, 11 September 2013

My hon. Friend makes a crucial point about the difficulty of communicating with trade union members. I have been a branch secretary, so

I know that it is difficult enough to communicate with just a branch. The key aspect of the Government’s motivation in previous legislation has been to address balloting procedures, which I understand to a certain extent, because there is a need to ensure that there is an accurate record of membership when taking a ballot. However, what is sinister about the Bill’s proposals, with reference to the Government’s assessment, is that they are about ensuring that the general public and employers are

“confident that voting papers and other communications are reaching union members”.

The Bill therefore covers a wider range of activities than just balloting, so there could be challenges from employers and others about just whether a trade union had adequately communicated with its members, by post or other means, about any matter.