Is there a union to join for free for civil services?

[Yepop]

Is there a union to join for free for civil services?
I would like to join a union and most of them are charging a monthly fees. Can anyone suggest which would be the most cheapest union available to join for civil services?

Why would it be free? All unions charge a monthly fee for their services.

The civil service unions are UNISON and Unite I think. Neither of them are free. You should get a reduced rate if you are on a low income. If you just want free representation and advice, then no.

that really is the wrong criteria.

and there are subs to pay for all union membership.
how else could it work ?
the suns are proportionate to your salary and affordable.
why should you gain the benefits of a union if you don't want to support its work.
do you understand much about trade unionism at all? why do you want to join ?

The union for the civil service is PCS. No unions are free as far as I'm aware, the use member subscriptions for their operational costs.

Have a look on the TUC trade union finder https://www.tuc.org.uk/joinunion, there are probably a few to choose from. None of them will be free because they are providing members with a valuable service. When you’ve found one you like, check out the membership benefits as you’ll be able to save money on insurance, shopping, holidays etc.

I can't think of any unions which do not have subscription fees

unions provide a service and have overheads. Why do you think someone in the CS should get this as a free bee? Do you expect to skip the checkout in the supermarket or get home or car insurance for free. What a bizarre question?

The whole point of unions is they run on members’ subscriptions. It’s a collective so everyone in the union benefits from the work they do.

Are you sure you know what a union is? It's not a service provided by your employer.

You also pay proportionately to your salary, so your subscription will be a percentage of what you earn. It helps when you are lower down the pay scales: you get the same representation for a lower relative cost to you.

Not sure the OP gets the premise of a Union.

Depending on your area of work, the unions for the civil service would be PCS, Prospect, or for more senior staff, FDA. Unite and Unison cover a broad range of public sector workers as well.

No union is free. They are not a charity. And they are not a service either. Or an insurance policy. Although they frequently act in those ways for their members. They are a collectively organised group of workers, who's aims and actions should be to the benefit and protection of those workers. The whole point is that it is based on individual members contributing and working together for their own protection and support. Why should any member get those benefits for free if others are paying?

The only time I have seen free union membership is where pre existing members were taking maternity leave and were in the unpaid period of that, most unions still recognised them as members without charging fees as long as they were employed.

What a strange request , an organisation can't run on fresh air .

How would a free union pay its staff?

All unions collect dues in the CS. They need to cover their operating costs somehow..Dues are relative to salary level though and are usually quite cheap.

Apologies but I didn't knew how it all works

How do you think they operate without monthly fees??

This.
Unions have full time staff, and offices.

Obviously. Here's a better question. Why do you want to join a union? And I'm a lifelong union activist. I think everyone should be in a union. But the best advice would be based on why do you want to join a union?

No union is free but most have a sliding scale of subscriptions based on your income. If you want to join but don't feel you can afford it then phone up and ask if there's axway to apply for a subsidised membership with dues that you feel you can afford. The point of the union is all hhe workers self-organising to club together and wield the power of the many, but their only income is those subscription fees, they aren't charities and everyone puts in what they can.

You’re a department head in the civil service and your husband is a high earner. Why would you think this should be free?

This makes me worried about you @Yepop - are you under an abusive level of coercive financial control in your relationship such that the union dues (which are a reasonable deduction like tax and pension) are being deducted from meager "pocket money" that will leave you skint?

Obviously the dues are steep if you are quite senior - if you are on above the median wage for union members then your dues are subsidising the memberships of people at the bottom of the pay scale who will really find it difficult to afford it. I remember finding the dues a bit eye-watering when I reached manager level, but they are fair. Think of it as the extra tax that you would be paying if the bastards weren't in charge. If it never reachesyiur bank account it's not real money anyway.

No, there’s a charge for all but fee’s vary according to your salary / grade

and Prospect

FDA too