Register of members' names and addresses
24Duty to maintain register of members' names and addresses
(1)A trade union shall compile and maintain a register of the names and addresses of its members, and shall secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the entries in the register are accurate and are kept up-to-date.
(2)The register may be kept by means of a computer.
(3)A trade union shall—
(a)allow any member, upon reasonable notice, to ascertain from the register, free of charge and at any reasonable time, whether there is an entry on it relating to him; and
(b)if requested to do so by any member, supply him as soon as reasonably practicable, either free of charge or on payment of a reasonable fee, with a copy of any entry on the register relating to him.
(4)Any duty falling upon a branch under this section by reason of its being a trade union shall be treated as having been discharged to the extent to which the union of which it is a branch has discharged the duty instead.
(5)For the purposes of this section a member’s address means either his home address or another address which he has requested the union in writing to treat as his postal address.
(6)The remedy for failure to comply with the requirements of this section is by way of application under section 25 (to the Certification Officer) or section 26 (to the court).
The making of an application to the Certification Officer does not prevent the applicant, or any other person, from making an application to the court in respect of the same matter.
25Remedy for failure: application to Certification Officer
(1)A member of a trade union who claims that the union has failed to comply with any of the requirements of section 24 (duties with respect to register of members' names and addresses) may apply to the Certification Officer for a declaration to that effect.
(2)On an application being made to him, the Certification Officer shall—
(a)make such enquiries as he thinks fit, and
(b)where he considers it appropriate, give the applicant and the trade union an opportunity to be heard,
and may make or refuse the declaration asked for.
(3)If he makes a declaration he shall specify in it the provisions with which the trade union has failed to comply.
(4)Where he makes a declaration and is satisfied that steps have been taken by the union with a view to remedying the declared failure, or securing that a failure of the same or any similar kind does not occur in future, or that the union has agreed to take such steps, he shall specify those steps in the declaration.
(5)Whether he makes or refuses a declaration, he shall give reasons for his decision in writing; and the reasons may be accompanied by written observations on any matter arising from, or connected with, the proceedings.
(6)In exercising his functions under this section the Certification Officer shall ensure that, so far as is reasonably practicable, an application made to him is determined within six months of being made.
(7)Where he requests a person to furnish information to him in connection with enquiries made by him under this section, he shall specify the date by which that information is to be furnished and, unless he considers that it would be inappropriate to do so, shall proceed with his determination of the application notwithstanding that the information has not been furnished to him by the specified date.
26Remedy for failure: application to court
(1)A member of a trade union who claims that the union has failed to comply with any of the requirements of section 24 (duties with respect to register of members' names and addresses) may apply to the court for a declaration to that effect.
(2)If an application in respect of the same matter has been made to the Certification Officer, the court shall have due regard to any declaration, reasons or observations of his which are brought to its notice.
(3)If the court makes a declaration it shall specify in it the provisions with which the trade union has failed to comply.
(4)Where the court makes a declaration it shall also, unless it considers that to do so would be inappropriate, make an enforcement order, that is, an order imposing on the union one or both of the following requirements—
(a)to take such steps to remedy the declared failure, within such period, as may be specified in the order;
(b)to abstain from such acts as may be so specified with a view to securing that a failure of the same or a similar kind does not occur in future.
(5)Where an enforcement order has been made, any person who is a member of the union and was a member at the time it was made, is entitled to enforce obedience to the order as if he had made the application on which the order was made.
(6)Without prejudice to any other power of the court, the court may on an application under this section grant such interlocutory relief (in Scotland, such interim order) as it considers appropriate.