FOI Request 2058

Subject: Trade Unions

Status: Complete

Date received: October 2024

Question Asked:

Please advise:

1. The details of any office accommodation your organisation provides to staff to carry out trade union business.  Please include details of:

   - space measured in square feet

   - how much of this space is contained within entirely separate buildings (i.e. occupied solely by staff carrying out trade union business)

   - whether a professional valuation of the market rental value of the space has been sought either in-house or externally, and if so, what the valuation of the space was

   - any charges the council levy for office space given to trade unions.

2. Do you deduct trade union subscriptions for any of your employees via payroll (sometimes known as the “check off” system)? If so, do you charge a fee to the trade unions concerned for providing this service?

3. With regard to trade union facility time, please provide the total cost of facility time from your pay bill for the financial year 2023/24 and the budget for the current financial year.  Please also advise the current number of employees that you fund to be union officials, measured as full time equivalents?  (For guidance on definitions please refer to the Government’s Transparency Code for local government)

4. Please advise any estimates for other costs met for those staff on trade union facility time apart from salaries - including travel expenses, office supplies, telephone expenses and energy bills.

Our Response:

1. The details of any office accommodation your organisation provides to staff to carry out trade union business.  Please include details of:

   - space measured in square feet

   - how much of this space is contained within entirely separate buildings (i.e. occupied solely by staff carrying out trade union business)

   - whether a professional valuation of the market rental value of the space has been sought either in-house or externally, and if so, what the valuation of the space was

   - any charges the council levy for office space given to trade unions.

   We do not have any specified space.

2. Do you deduct trade union subscriptions for any of your employees via payroll (sometimes known as the “check off” system)? If so, do you charge a fee to the trade unions concerned for providing this service?

   Yes we deduct union subscriptions for some members through the payroll and yes we charge them an admin fee to do this.

3. With regard to trade union facility time, please provide the total cost of facility time from your pay bill for the financial year 2023/24 and the budget for the current financial year.  Please also advise the current number of employees that you fund to be union officials, measured as full time equivalents?  (For guidance on definitions please refer to the Government’s Transparency Code for local government)

   Total cost of facility time: £53,168.77

   Trade union representatives: 46 - please see below

   During the time frame specified Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service had 1 fulltime rep, however there were a number of staff (45) in that time frame who may have assisted with attending meetings or writing reports, this is something they would do in addition to their normal duties.

4. Please advise any estimates for other costs met for those staff on trade union facility time apart from salaries - including travel expenses, office supplies, telephone expenses and energy bills.

   No information held.

Outcome: Information Provided

FOI responded to within timescales: YES

Further action: NO