ONS trade unions and staff representative bodies

FOI reference: FOI-2025-2507

You asked

Please provide the following.

1. A list of the recognised trade unions and staff representative bodies in your organisation.

2. A copy of the recognition agreement between the organisation and the trade union/staff body.

3. A copy of the facility agreement used to determine office access, use of IT equipment and time off for trade union duties.

4. The number of workplace representatives.

5. The number of full-time seconded employees funded by your organisation to do union work full-time.

6. A list of time off taken in the last two financial years by trade union/staff association officials.

We said

Thank you for your request under the Freedom of Information Act. 

The recognised trade unions at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) are First Division Association (FDA), Public and Commercial Services (PCS) and Prospect. 

Please see the associated downloads, providing our Employee Relations agreement and our Facility Time agreement.  Review activity has begun on both but that will not be reflected in the documents until the reviews have concluded, the agreements revised and new review dates set. 

The number of trade union representatives as reported for the last financial year 2023 to 2024 is 46, this information is published annually in our Annual report and accounts 2023/2024 - UK Statistics Authority and is located on page 106. 

The number of full-time seconded employees funded by ONS to do union work full-time is 0. 

We have interpreted question 6 as a list of time off taken to undertake Union activities.  All union members have operated within the 1-50% bracket over the last two financial years. The UK Statistics Authority does not hold more specific data.