Complain about your trade union
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1. Overview
You can complain to the Certification Officer about a trade union if you바카라 사이트™re a member.
You might also be able to complain if you바카라 사이트™re not a member of a trade union, for example you바카라 사이트™re a candidate in an election run by a union.
What you can complain about
You can complain if you think the trade union has:
- broken its own rules, for example about holding elections or ballots
- broken laws on running trade unions, for example not holding a proper ballot on a proposed merger of trade unions or not providing access to accounting records
You can also complain about trade union funds being used illegally or in a way that breaks the financial rules of the union, known as financial irregularities.
You do not have to be a member of a trade union to complain about financial irregularities.
The make a complaint guidance has a full list of the complaints you can make to the Certification Officer
What you cannot complain about
You cannot complain about what a union does for you, for example representing you if you바카라 사이트™re unfairly dismissed. You should get legal advice instead.
Complain to your trade union first
Talk to your trade union and try to resolve the problem with them before taking it to the Certification Officer.
You can take your complaint further if you바카라 사이트™ve been through all the steps in your trade union바카라 사이트™s complaints procedure and you바카라 사이트™re still not satisfied.
Complain to a court
You might be able to take your trade union to court, for example for breach of contract if it breaks its own rules. You should seek legal advice before you do this. You cannot complain to the Certification Officer and the courts about the same problem.
Complain to the Certification Officer
2. Make a complaint
Email or call the Certification Officer to talk about your complaint before you make a complaint in writing.
Certification Officer
info@certoffice.org
Telephone: 0330 109 3602
Find out about call charges
The make a complaint guidance has information on how to make a complaint and when you can make it.
The financial irregularities guidance has information on how:
- to make a complaint about the illegal or improper use of funds in trade unions and employers바카라 사이트™ associations
- the Certification Officer might appoint an inspector to investigate the complaint
- the Certification Officer makes a decision and how they바카라 사이트™ll tell you this
Use the complaint form
Download and fill in the registration of complaint form.
Email the registration of complaint form to the address on the form.
Make an anonymous complaint
You might be able to make your complaint anonymously if you feel your complaint would put you in danger.
Use the registration of complaint form to make your complaint and do both of the following:
- tell the Certification Officer that you want to make an anonymous complaint
- explain why you want your identity kept secret from your union
If the Certification Officer agrees, they will keep your identity secret from the trade union.
You can retract your complaint if the Certification Officer does not think your complaint can be made anonymously. You should tell them in writing that you want to retract your complaint.
3. Attend a hearing
You바카라 사이트™ll usually get the chance to attend a hearing with the Certification Officer to have your complaint heard.
You바카라 사이트™ll get a letter from the Certification Officer asking you to confirm what your complaint is about, for example what rule you think has been broken.
Your complaint will be sent to your union - they can disagree with any allegation you바카라 사이트™ve made.
Provide documents for your hearing
You and your union must send certain documents by a date specified by the Certification Officer.
These include:
- copies of all the documents that relate to your complaint
- written statements from anyone that바카라 사이트™s going to give evidence at the hearing
- written draft arguments
- copies of any legal evidence that backs up the draft arguments
Get a date for the hearing
You바카라 사이트™ll get a letter from the Certification Officer that sets a date for the hearing when both of the following have happened:
- your union has replied to the Certification Officer about your complaint
- you and your union provide the Certification Officer with all the necessary documents
You or your union can ask for the hearing to be postponed if either of you can바카라 사이트™t attend the hearing on the date given.
The hearing guidance tells you:
- how you or your union might be able to change the date of the hearing
- what happens at the hearing
Get a decision without a hearing
You can also get a decision from the Certification Officer on your case without having to attend a hearing, for example if both you and the union agree that either the union바카라 사이트™s own rules or the law has been broken.
You바카라 사이트™ll still need to provide the Certification Officer with all the details about the case so they can decide what should happen next.
4. Get a decision
You won바카라 사이트™t get a decision about your complaint at the hearing.
You바카라 사이트™ll be told at the end of the hearing when you might get your decision.
You바카라 사이트™ll get a decision in writing, with the reasons for it, from the Certification Officer.
Appeal against a decision
You can appeal to an employment appeal tribunal if you think the Certification Officer made a decision that was legally wrong.