Political Fund
RULE 23 - NATIONAL UNION OF RAIL, MARITIME & TRANSPORT WORKERS POLITICAL FUND RULES
Objects
1. The objects of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers include the furtherance of the political objects to which section 72 of the amended Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (the 1992 Act) applies. Those political objects are:
72 Political objects to which restriction applies.
(1) The political objects to which this Chapter applies are the expenditure of money-
(a) on any contribution to the funds of, or on the payment of expenses incurred directly or indirectly by, a political party;
(b) on the provision of any service or property for use by or on behalf of any political party;
(c) in connection with the registration of electors, the candidature of any person, the selection of any candidate or the holding of any ballot by the union in connection with any election to a political office;
(d) on the maintenance of any holder of a political office;
(e) on the holding of any conference or meeting by or on behalf of a political party or of any other meeting the main purpose of which is the transaction of business in connection with a political party;
(f) on the production, publication or distribution of any literature, document, film, sound recording or advertisement the main purpose of which is to persuade people to vote for a political party or candidate or to persuade them not to vote for a political party or candidate.
(2) Where a person attends a conference or meeting as a delegate or otherwise as a participator in the proceedings, any expenditure incurred in connection with his attendance as such shall, for the purposes of subsection (1)(e), be taken to be expenditure incurred on the holding of the conference or meeting.
(3) In determining for the purposes of subsection (1) whether a trade union has incurred expenditure of a kind mentioned in that subsection, no account shall be taken of the ordinary administrative expenses of the union.
(4) In this section —
“candidate” means a candidate for election to a political office and includes a prospective candidate;
“contribution”, in relation to the funds of a political party, includes any fee payable for affiliation to, or membership of, the party and any loan made to the party;
“electors” means electors at an election to a political office;
“film” includes any record, however made, of a sequence of visual images, which is capable of being used as a means of showing that sequence as a moving picture;
“local authority” means a local authority within the meaning of section 270 of the Local Government Act 1972 or section 235 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973; and
“political office” means the office of member of Parliament, member of the European Parliament or member of a local authority or any position within a political party.
Funding
2. Any payments in the furtherance of these political objects shall be made out of a separate fund of the union. This fund shall be called the political fund.
Contributions Payable
3. The union shall make clear how much of any membership subscription is for the political fund. If the political fund is charged as a separate levy, the union shall set the amount at an equivalent of £0.06 per week of each periodic deduction. The union shall ensure that members who have opted out do not pay this levy.
Exempt Member, Other Benefits
4. Any member who chooses not to contribute to the political fund of the union shall not be excluded from any benefits of the union or placed in any respect either directly or indirectly under any disability or disadvantage as compared with other members of the union (except in relation to the control or management of the political fund). Any form (including an electronic form) that a person has to complete to become a member of the union must include a statement to that effect, as well as a statement to the effect that the person may opt out of contributing to the political fund.
Aggrieved Member
5. Any member who claims to be aggrieved by a breach of these political fund rules may complain to the Certification Officer. After making such enquiries as they think fit, the Certification Officer shall give both the complainant and a representative of the union an opportunity to make written representations. They may also give both the complainant and a representative of the union an opportunity to make oral representations. After this, if the Certification Officer considers that such a breach has been committed, they make such order for remedying the breach as they think appropriate in the circumstances. Any such order of the Certification Officer may, subject to the right of appeal provided by section 95 of the 1992 Act, be enforced in the manner provided for in sections 82(4A) and 82(4B) of the 1992 Act.
Not Membership Condition
6. Contribution to the political fund of the union shall not be made a condition for admission to the union, and members of the union who choose not to contribute to the political fund must not be placed under any obligation to do so
Copy of Political Fund Rules
7. The union shall ensure that a copy of the political fund rules is available, free of charge, to any member of the union who requests a copy.
Opt-out information notices
8. As soon as possible, and no later than eight weeks after the union votes to adopt political objects, the union shall publish the notice at Appendix 1 to every member.
The union will publish the notice using the same methods it normally uses for important information. At present, this includes:
It is the union’s current practice to publish the notice in the union’s journal RMT News.
10. The notice shall be published again, within eight weeks of each ten-year anniversary of a vote to adopt political objects (including any vote that took place before the commencement of the new section 84A of the 1992 Act, as substituted by the Employment Rights Act 2025), unless the resolution has been rescinded or otherwise ceases to have effect.
Submitting an opt-out notice
11. Any member can give notice to opt out of contributing to the political fund at any time.
To do so, members can:
a) Use the official opt-out notice form, or
b) Send a written request that clearly states that they do not want to contribute to the political fund. Such a written request can be delivered in person, sent by post, email, or through any electronic form the union provides.
12. Members can get a copy of the official opt-out notice form:
a) From the union, by application at, or by post from, the head office or any branch office of the union, or
b) From the Certification Officer by emailing info@certoffice.org
13. The official opt-out notice form in use can be found at Appendix 2.
14. When the union receives an opt-out notice from a member, it will send the member an acknowledgement to the address provided.
When the opt-out notice takes effect
15. The opt-out takes effect on the earlier of:
a) The opt - out withdrawal notice takes effect within the month after the date on which it is given.
b) 1 January in the year following the year in which the notice is given.
16. The union shall make sure that members who have opted out do not pay into the political fund.
Withdrawing an opt-out notice
17. Any member who has opted out of contributing to the political fund may withdraw their opt-out at any time. Doing so means the member will start contributing to the political fund again. To withdraw an opt-out notice, the member should give the union an opt-out withdrawal notice, which is a written statement saying they wish to withdraw their opt-out notice and start contributing to the union’s political fund again.
18. The opt-out withdrawal notice can be delivered in person, sent by post, email, or through any electronic form the union provides.
19. When the union receives the opt-out withdrawal notice, it will send the member an acknowledgement to the address provided and process the withdrawal of the opt-out notice as soon as reasonably practicable.
Transitional arrangements for members who joined National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers between 1 March 2018 and 17 February 2026
Between 1 March 2018 and 17 February 2026, members were not automatically opted in to the political fund. Instead, they had to actively opt-in. The Employment Rights Act 2025 has amended the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, so that new members are treated as opted-in unless they choose to opt-out. The following rules explain how unions must handle members who joined between 1 March 2018 and 17 February 2026.
Default opt-outs for certain members
20. Any member who joined the union between 1 March 2018 and 17 February 2026 and was not contributing to the political fund immediately before 18 February 2026, is treated by law as having given an opt-out notice under the new section 84 of the 1992 Act, substituted by the 2025 Act. This opt-out remains in effect until the member gives a withdrawal notice in accordance with these rules. The union does not need to take any action to process these opt-outs, as they apply automatically under the law. This automatically applied opt-out notice is treated as effective from 18 February 2026 and will remain in effect until the member gives an opt-out withdrawal notice to cancel it (as addressed above in paragraphs 17-19).
Transitional period for opt-in withdrawals
The following rules (21-24) apply to members who joined the union between 1 March 2018 and 18 February 2026 and submitted an opt-in notice that remains in force on 18 February 2026. These rules cover the four-week period until (and including) 17 March 2026. After that period, these members will be captured by the processes described earlier in these rules.
21. Any member who joined the union between 1 March 2018 and 18 February 2026 and, during that time, submitted an opt-in notice, may for a short period give a withdrawal notice under section 84 of the 1992 Act, as it stood before the 2025 Act.
22. During the transitional period until (and including) 18 March 2026, if a member who submitted an opt-in notice wishes to stop contributing to the political fund, they may give the union an opt-in withdrawal notice, which is a written statement saying they no longer wish to contribute.
23. The opt-in withdrawal notice can be delivered in person, sent by post, email, or through any electronic form the union provides.
24. The opt-in withdrawal notice takes effect one month after the date on which it is given.
Northern Ireland
Exemption from Contributions Members in Northern Ireland
Political Fund (Northern Ireland)
25. The Rules for the Political Fund of the Union contained in Rule 23 shall have effect in Northern Ireland subject to the following modifications; namely Clause 5 shall be omitted therefrom and Clauses 26 - 32 set out below shall replace the provisions set out in Clauses 11 - 24.
Exemption from Contributions Members in Northern Ireland
26. Under Article 59 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1995, no member of the Union in Northern Ireland shall be required to make any contribution to the Political Fund of the Union in accordance with Clause 3 unless he has delivered, as provided in Clause 28, at the Head Office or some Branch Office of the Union, notice in writing, in the form set out in Clause 27 of his willingness to contribute to that Fund, and has not withdrawn the notice in manner provided in Clause 28. Every member of the Union who has not delivered such a notice or who, having delivered such a notice, has withdrawn it in a manner provided in Clause 28, is to be deemed for the purpose of these Rules to be a member who is exempt from the obligation to contribute to the Political Fund of the Union.
27. The form of notice of willingness to contribute to the Political Fund of the Union is as follows:
Form of Political Contribution Notice:
Name.......................................................................
Name of trade union................................................
Name of member's branch (if any)..........................
Political Fund (Contribution Notice).........................
I HEREBY give notice that I am willing and agree to contribute to the Political Fund of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, and I understand that I shall, in consequence, be liable to contribute to that Fund and shall continue to be so liable unless I deliver at the Head Office of the Union, or some Branch Office, a written notice of withdrawal: I also understand that after delivering such a notice of withdrawal I shall still continue to be liable to contribute to the Political Fund until the next following first day of January.
Name ...............................................................................
Address ...................................................................
Membership Number (if any) ...........................................
Date………………………… day of ……………………… 20…………..
28. If at any time a member of the Union, who has delivered such a notice as is provided for in Clauses 26 and 27, gives notice of withdrawal thereof, delivered, as provided in Clause 29, at the Head Office or at any Branch Office of the Union, he/she shall be deemed to have withdrawn the notice as from the first day of January next after the delivery of the notice of withdrawal.
29. The notices referred to in Clauses 26, 27 and 28 may be delivered personally by the member, and any notice shall be deemed to have been delivered at the Head Office or a Branch of the Union if it has been sent by post properly addressed to that office.
30. The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers shall give effect to the exemption of members to contribute to the Political Fund of the Union by making a separate levy of contributions to that Fund from the members of the Union who are not exempt. No monies of the Union other than the amount raised by such separate levy shall be carried to the Political Fund of the Union.
31. If any Northern Ireland member alleges that he/she is aggrieved by a breach of any of the Rules of the Political Fund, being a Rule or Rules made pursuant to Article 59 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1995, he/she may complain to the Northern Ireland Certification Officer, 4th Floor, James House, Cromac Avenue, Belfast. BT7 2JA, info@nicertoffice.org.uk, under Article 57(2) to (4) of that Order. If, after giving the complainant and a representative of the union an opportunity to be heard, the Certification Officer considers that a breach has been committed, the Certification Officer may make an order for remedying it as the Certification Officer thinks just in the circumstances. Under Article 69 of the 1995 Order an appeal against any decision of the Certification Officer may be made to the Court of Appeal on a question of law. Additionally, if any Northern Ireland member alleges that he/she is aggrieved by a breach of the Political Fund rules made pursuant to Section 82 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1995 he/she may complain to the GB Certification Officer, by emailing info@certoffice.org. If, after giving the complainant and a representative of the union an opportunity of being heard, the GB Certification Officer considers that a breach has been committed, he/she may make an order for remedying it as he/she thinks just in the circumstances. Any such order of the GB Certification Officer is subject to the right of appeal provided for by Section 95 of the 1992 Act.
Copy of Political Fund Rules (Northern Ireland)
32. The National Executive Committee shall cause to be printed a number of copies of these Rules relating to the Political Fund of the Union, having at the end copies of the certificate of approval, sufficient for the members of the Union, and a further number of new members, and shall send to the Secretary of each Branch a number of copies sufficient for the members of the Branch. The Secretary of the Branch shall take steps to secure that every member of the Branch, so far as is practicable, receives a copy of these Rules, and shall supply a copy to any member on request free of charge. A copy thereof shall also be supplied forthwith to every new member on admission to the Union. The provisions of this Rule shall apply to any subsequent alterations of the Rules for the Political Fund of the Union.
Allocation to Branches
33. Of the amounts contributed to the Political Fund under this Rule, one-tenth shall be allocated to Branches for local purposes in Municipal or Parliamentary elections, including affiliation fees to the Political Fund of the Regional Council. A full statement of income and expenditure shall be submitted to Head Office within the annual Balance Sheet.
Local Government Candidates
34. A member contributing to the Political Fund and contesting as a candidate in any local government election outside the area of the member’s Branch, may be assisted from the Political Fund of that branch. The amount shall be decided by Branch members of the Political Fund.
Political Funds Regional Councils
35. Each Regional Council shall receive out of the Political Fund monies allocated to each of its Branches an annual contribution of 2p for each member of the Branch who is not exempt from Political Fund contributions under this Rule. All such annual contributions shall be paid into the Political Fund of the Regional Council.
36. The Political Fund of each Regional Council shall be kept separate from all other funds of the Regional Council. For the purposes of Clause 2 above, payments out of the Political Fund of any Regional Council shall be regarded as having been paid out of the Political Fund of the Union.
Parliamentary Campaign Groups
37. That the Union creates Parliamentary campaign groups at Westminster, the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and the European Parliament, as determined by the National Executive Committee, funded by the Political Fund and to keep the campaign groups under review. All members of the said groups to be members of the Union.
Support for Organisations or Campaigns
38. The National Executive Committee may be, from time to time, requested by Branches or Regional Councils to explicitly authorise support for organisations or campaigns in pursuance of the Union's policy objectives, subject to not breaching the provisions of these Rules. Any such request should be placed in front of the National Executive Committee within fourteen days of its receipt at Head Office.
Appendix 1: Opt-out information notice
Notice to Members in accordance with the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992
National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers has a political fund. This fund is used for activities connected with political objects as defined by section 72 of the above Act. All spending on these activities comes from this separate political fund.
Every member has the right not to contribute to the union’s political fund. To exercise this right, you must give the union an opt-out notice.
You can give an opt-out notice in any of these ways:
- Deliver it in person, by post, or through a person you have asked to deliver it on your behalf
- Send it by email to info@rmt.org.uk
- Complete an electronic form provided by the union and submit it online following the union’s instructions.
A form of opt-out notice can also be obtained:
- From the union by application at, or by post from, the head office or branch office of the union, or
- From the Certification Officer by emailing info@certoffice.org
If you later change your mind, you can give a withdrawal notice to cancel your opt-out. This will put you back into contributing to the political fund.
Date
Appendix 2: Opt-out notice
National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers
Political fund opt-out notice
I do not want to contribute to the union’s political fund. By giving this notice, I will be exempt from making any payments to the political fund.
Signature
Print name
Postal or email address
Date
Unity House
Tel: 020 7387 4771
Email: