UNISON’s campaign voice
UNISON’s 10-year ballot is now underway – it opened on 15 July and closes on 16 August 16
Labour Link
The key objective of the Labour Link is to take members’ priorities into the Labour Party. Camden UNISON intend to pursue vigorously this objective both locally and nationally.
Campaign fund
Through the campaign fund side (previously called general political fund) all branches, nations, regions, self-organised groups, service groups and departments are able to bid for funds to support local and national campaign priorities.
The campaign fund committee, which oversees the fund, approved more than 60 bids over the last year. Bids from every UNISON region were successful, with total expenditure across the UK totalling £1.2m. This included funding for important strategic projects, such as the campaign for a national care service, the union’s work fighting racism and targeting the far right via HOPE not hate, and support for the Year of LGBT+ Workers. 
Political activity was supported in all nations of the UK. Funding was provided for the equalities coalition in Northern Ireland, for UNISON’s presence at Scottish political party conferences, and for a series of workshops supporting the implementation of the Social Partnership and Public Procurement Act in Wales/Cymru.
The committee also set aside funding for the general election campaign to pay for polling, political advertising and member communication in target constituencies.
The campaign fund also continued to support the full range of the union’s equalities work. This included funding for Black History Month, UN Anti Racism Day and local and regional pride events. Important trade union heritage events, the Durham Miners’ Gala and Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival, also received funding.
Why we have political fund ballots
The requirement for trade unions to hold political fund ballots was introduced by Margaret Thatcher’s government in its 1984 Trade Union Act.
This legislation placed a duty on all trade unions to do two things if they wanted to undertake political campaign activity on behalf of their members.
Firstly, to hold and win a ballot of members to set up a separate fund to support our political campaign work.
Secondly, to hold further ballots – every 10 years thereafter – to renew the fund’s mandate.
Someone once said that trade union money is the cleanest money in politics, so it isn’t surprising that the Tories attacked unions through their political fund legislation.
No political fund ballot has ever been lost.
Over the coming month we need to ensure that this one will not be the first. This is a ballot we need to win if we want UNISON to be able to continue to campaign on behalf of our members.
Ballot timetable
