Online voting in UK trade union statutory ballots is being introduced this year, as part of the government’s broader reforms to modernise workplace rights, under the Make Work Pay agenda.
This is something the TUC and unions have consistently campaigned for, over more than two decades. And union experience with indicative ballots means we have a lot of good practice to draw on as we extend the tactics to strike votes and leadership votes.
But there are also a number of areas where the move to new ballots means a difference in importance, scale and audience, and there will be complications with the changes, due to the limitations of the new legislation.
Unions have work to do in updating their rulebooks, cleaning and building their member contact data, establishing the processes and suppliers they will want to use, and planning their approach to get-out-the-vote campaigns in a different situation.
But the work will be worth it in terms of increasing turnout and engagement, speeding up processes, meeting modern member expectations, and in many cases reducing balloting costs.
This guide aims to give unions some practical directions on how to prepare, so they can make the most of the new right once it becomes law.