A civil service trade union has launched legal proceedings against the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) over its decision to scrap how union subscriptions are collected from its members' salaries.

The move by the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, which represents 270,000, mainly blue collar central government staff, marks a further escalation in efforts led by communities secretary Eric Pickles to reform trade union facility time.

Last week the DCLG announced it would end the established system of collecting trade union subscriptions through salaries – know as the ‘check off'. 

As such, Eland House is implementing advice given to councils this March to cut down on trade union facility time and some 2,840 ‘pilgrim' posts across the public sector.  In guidance issued as part of the '50 ways to save' initiative, local authorities were told to shrink the amount of facility time to the private sector's average.

However, the PCS complained the department has acted unilaterally, without consultation and at only a few week's notice. 

In response the union has launched legal proceedings for breach of its members employment contracts and insists there are strong grounds seeking an injunction.

PCS general secretary, Mark Serwotka said: ‘Eric Pickles' latest attempt to undermine our union in his department is unnecessary and wholly politically motivated.

‘Hopefully he will now see sense and not waste any taxpayers' money trying to defend a legal case that we believe is cut and dried.'

In response, Mr Pickles said his department is ‘practising what we preach to councils' in urging them to keep council tax levels down and protect local frontline services.

‘For too long in the public sector, trade unions have received taxpayer funding that is poor value for money and inadequately controlled,' Mr Pickles said.

‘Trade union activities and campaigning should be funded through consenting members' subscriptions, not bankrolled by the taxpayer.

‘Freedom from state dependency will mean that trade union bosses will better reflect and respond to the wishes and views of the grassroots members.'