Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many civil servants in her Department are members of trades unions; how much working hours facility time is claimed by each such civil servant; and what the cost of that facility time is to her Department.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) recognises three Trade Unions for the purposes of collective bargaining: the First Division Association (FDA), the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) and Prospect. As not all Trade Union members pay their subscriptions through payroll it is not possible to provide accurate data on the number of employees who are trade union members.

Local union representatives are elected by the employees who are members of the union in accordance with each union’s rules for filling these posts. In order to fulfil their trade union duties the unions also elect representatives to the roles of Departmental Trade Union Side (DTUS) Chair and Secretary. The DTUS Chair and Secretary are allocated re-approved facility time up to 50% of their working hours. All other representatives must request time off from their line manager.

Details of the working time claimed by unions representatives in DECC and the cost of the facility time to the Department is provided to the Cabinet Office on a quarterly basis. The details provided in the latest return covering the period 1 April to 30 June 2015 are as follows: