The Trades Union Certification Officer was established in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
by
Act of Parliament
Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the Legislature, legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of ...
in 1975. They head the Certification Office for Trade Unions and Employers' Associations.
Responsibilities
The Certification Officer is responsible for:
* maintaining a list of
trade union
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...
s and
employers' associations
* receiving and scrutinising annual returns from trade unions and employers' associations
* determining complaints concerning trade union elections, certain other ballots and breaches of trade union rules
* ensuring observance of statutory requirements governing mergers between trade unions and between employers' associations
* overseeing the political funds and the finances of trade unions and employers' associations
* certifying the independence of trade unions
Certification Officer
David Cockburn was appointed on 1 August 2001 and re-appointed in 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2012. Mr Cockburn retired on 30 June 2016. He has chaired the Industrial Law Society (ILS), the Employment Lawyers Association (ELA), and the Employment Law Committee of the
Law Society. He was also the founder treasurer of
the Institute of Employment Rights
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
. He is currently a vice-president of the ILS and the ELA and a member of the editorial board of the Encyclopaedia of Employment Law and the Industrial Law Journal. He is also a part-time chairman of
Employment Tribunal
Employment tribunals are tribunal public bodies in England and Wales and Scotland which have statutory jurisdiction to hear many kinds of disputes between employers and employees. The most common disputes are concerned with unfair dismissal, red ...
s and a Visiting Professor at the
Middlesex University Business School.
Gerard Walker was appointed as the Certification Officer by the
Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills
The secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The incumbent is a memb ...
on 29 June 2016. The appointment was on an interim basis for the period 1 July 2016 to 30 November 2016.
The appointment was extended on 24 November 2016 and was extended until December 2017. Walker was responsible for a ruling that foster carers could not form a union, which was then reversed by the Court of Appeal in ''
''
021
021 is:
* in Brazil, the telephone area code for the city of Rio de Janeiro and surrounding cities (Greater Rio de Janeiro)
* in China, the telephone area code for the city of Shanghai.
* in Indonesia, the area code for the city of Jakarta ...
EWCA Civ 548 as a violation of fundamental human rights and the Act of Parliament.
Sarah Bedwell was appointed as Certification Officer in December 2017.
[See https://www.gov.uk/government/news/sarah-bedwell-announced-as-the-new-certification-officer]
Recognition
In order to be recognised by the Officer, a union must first apply to be listed – a simple paper process, costing £150. To be recognised as an independent union, with all the attendant legal benefits that follow, a union must undergo a more rigorous inspection to confirm its independence from employers. This currently costs £4,066.
References
{{Reflist
External links
Official websiteCatalogue of the Certification Office archives held at the
Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick
Labour relations in the United Kingdom
*
1975 establishments in the United Kingdom