On 08 June the UK government announced that the Certification Officer, the public body responsible for checking that trade unions and employers' associations comply with the relevant statutes, is set to see its functions expanded. The aim of this change, which has previously been approved by Parliament, is to bring the powers of this supervisory body into line with those of other similar bodies like the Pensions Regulator, Financial Reporting Council and Electoral Commission. While the government welcomes this move for "transparency", the trades unions criticize it as a purely political act.
Going forward the Certification Officer will be able to respond if a third party is concerned that a trade union or employers’ body may have failed to comply with its statutory duties. Similarly, the Certification Officer will also be able to launch an investigation where they suspect a breach of duties such as funds mismanagement, failure to hold mandatory elections, or the appointment of a person with a criminal record to a senior position. The Certification Officer, will also be able to impo
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