Certification Officer: Announcements
The UK Certification Officer published decisions on trade union rule breaches, dismissed withdrawn complaints, and launched an online complaints system to modernise its processes.
The Certification Officer ruled that a union breached its rules in a branch election case under the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 but did not issue an enforcement order after the breach was rectified. A separate complaint under the same legislation was dismissed after the applicant withdrew the claim. The Certification Officer’s annual report for 2025–26 was laid before Parliament, detailing trade union compliance and statistical returns from the year ending December 2024.
Two complaints alleging breaches of union rules in disciplinary proceedings were not upheld following a hearing in May 2026. The Certification Officer also published a revised complaints procedure to clarify how complaints are handled, including accessibility, privacy, and learning from outcomes. The changes aim to improve transparency and consistency in the complaints process.
Three organisations—Women’s Rugby Association, British Association of Dental Nurses, and Trade Union for Ethnic Minority Social Workers—were removed from the Certification Officer’s list of trade unions in June and July 2026 due to dissolution or merger. British Association of Dental Nurses merged into Community, while the other two organisations ceased to exist.
A new online system for submitting complaints about alleged breaches of trade union rules or the 1992 Act was introduced on 8 June 2026, replacing the previous paper-based process. The digital service is part of a broader modernisation effort to improve efficiency, accessibility, and data use. Applications for certificates of independence, such as from Equality for Workers Union, will now be processed through the online system.