What is the Political Fund?
The law says that unions must have a separate Political Fund to spend on
political campaigning. This could include a newspaper advertising campaign in
support of public services, lobbying for better legal rights for workers,
calling for increased investment in public services, holding a rally to improve
health and safety protection or support for a political party. Members choose
whether or not to contribute through a 'political levy'.
How much is the Political Levy?
10p per week.
Doesn't all the money go to the Labour Party?
No. The CWU spends some of its money to affiliate to the Labour Party to
ensure that the voice of members is heard within its policy-making structures
and to bring influence to bear.
Politicians make decisions, which affect the lives of CWU members at work and at
home. The CWU needs to be able to influence those decisions. For that, we need
the political fund.
Some of the money goes to training political reps. Most of the money goes toward campaigning. Such as the campaign to keep crown offices open, to defeat privatisation of our industry & to combat the regulator.
Why have a Political Fund?
The Political Fund is vital to defend the rights we have already won and for us
to be able to continue to influence political decisions. The Political Fund
allows us to take our workplace campaigns into the political arena, campaign for
CWU policies and have a say on changes in the law.
What the CWU has been won using
the Political Fund?
Over the years, many of the laws, policies and public services which we now take
for granted have been partly achieved by long, hard campaigning by trade unions
- much of this campaigning has been paid for using Political Funds.
Trade union campaigning and
political lobbying has helped win:
o Health and Safety legislation
o Legal rights to union recognition
o Information and consultation rights
o The National Minimum Wage
o Working Time Regulations
o Protection against Discrimination and Harassment
o Better Pensions
o More rights for parents at work.
Without a Political Fund, many CWU campaigns - including the campaign against Post Office privatisation and the Broadband Britain campaign - would have been seriously hampered.