IPSA staff and trade unions

Request

  1. A list of trade unions which received payments from your organisation and the total amounts paid to each union for financial years a) 2011-12 and b) 2012-13. If it is not possible to list the amount paid to each union, please provide a total amount paid to all unions. Please do not include membership dues or salary costs. Please only include direct payments.

  2. Please state:

    1. Which trade unions your organisation provide staff time to work on trade union duties and / or activities (sometimes called ‘Trade Union facility time’) in i) 2011-12 and ii) 2012-13

    2. The number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff that were provided for each trade union in i) 2011-12 and ii) 2012-13. For example, if a member of staff spends 2 days per week on union business, this is equal to 0.4 FTE.

  3. Does your organisation provide the facility to deduct trade union subscriptions from staff salaries in the payroll process? If so, for each union please state what your organisation charged for this service (whether as a fixed amount per employee or a percentage), and the total amount collected in:

    1. 2011-12

    2. 2012-13


Response

IPSA holds some of the information that you request.

Taking your questions in turn:

  • A list of trade unions which received payments from your organisation and the total amounts paid to each union for financial years a) 2011-12 and b) 2012-13. If it is not possible to list the amount paid to each union, please provide a total amount paid to all unions. Please do not include membership dues or salary costs. Please only include direct payments.

Besides our response to part 3) of your request, IPSA does not make direct payments to trade unions.

  • Please state:

    • Which trade unions your organisation provide staff time to work on trade union duties and / or activities (sometimes called ‘Trade Union facility time’) in i) 2011-12 and ii) 2012-13.

    • The number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff that were provided for each trade union in i) 2011-12 and ii) 2012-13. For example, if a member of staff spends 2 days per week on union business, this is equal to 0.4 FTE.

Members of IPSA’s staff are entitled to take reasonable time during working hours to undertake trade union activities.  As IPSA is a small organisation, the staff time devoted to trade union activity is relatively low and we do not, therefore, hold a record of this information.

We are unable to provide an estimate of the information, as you have requested in the instance that the information is not held.  The FOIA gives individuals the right to request recorded information from public authorities.  IPSA is not required under the FOIA to provide an estimate in place of information that is not held.

The relevant trade union is the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS).

  • Does your organisation provide the facility to deduct trade union subscriptions from staff salaries in the payroll process? If so, for each union please state what your organisation charged for this service (whether as a fixed amount per employee or a percentage), and the total amount collected in:

    • 2011-12

    • 2012-13

IPSA staff members can elect to have trade unions subscriptions deducted from their salaries.  Subscription deductions are subsequently passed on to the trade union – we do not charge the trade union for this service.

Ref:
F1314-087
Disclosure:
30 July 2013
Categories:
IPSA - STAFF
Exemptions Applied:
None