UK trade union regulator updates register, opens online casework service

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UK union regulator updates

Highlights

The Certification Officer will remove Women’s Rugby Association and TUEMSW from the list of trade unions in July and June 2026, respectively, due to dissolution.
British Association of Dental Nurses merged into Community on June 23, 2026, with formal transfer application received May 8, 2026, and UPECC was granted a certificate of independence.
From June 8, 2026, the regulator is launching an online casework service and business plan for 2026-2027 to modernise and improve trade union oversight.

Register changes and applications in 2026

As announced by the Certification Officer on GOV.UK, Women’s Rugby Association is removed from the list of trade unions with effect from July 1, 2026 because the organisation had dissolved, while Trade Union for Ethnic Minority Social Workers, TUEMSW, is removed from June 23, 2026 on the same basis.

British Association of Dental Nurses merged into Community on June 23, 2026 and ceased to exist from that date. The regulator also says an application to register the Instrument of Transfer of British Association of Dental Nurses to Community was received on May 8, 2026.

The Certification Officer has also received applications for certificates of independence from Equality for Workers Union, EFWU, and Workers Voice Union. In both cases, the application will not be determined until at least one calendar month has elapsed from the date of notice, and interested parties may submit relevant information.

The application for a certificate of independence from Union of Pilots, Engineers & Cabin Crew, UPECC, was approved.

Digital casework and regulatory direction

The Certification Officer is launching a new online service to modernise casework. From June 8, 2026, applicants are able to submit online applications concerning alleged breaches of trade union rules and the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, replacing the paper-based process.

Updated guidance and a link to the online application form are due to be made available on the website from the same date. The office has also published its Business Plan for 2026 to 2027, setting out a focus on fair, efficient and accessible regulation intended to support confidence in trade unions and employers’ association governance.

Recent decisions listed by the regulator show Mr Barnes and Mr Dench made two complaints over the 2025 national President and Treasurer elections, but the complaints were not upheld after a hearing. A complaint by Mr Rawlins over the election of divisional representatives was also not upheld, while an application by Mr Chester regarding union rules was dismissed following his withdrawal.

Stephen Hardy, the Certification Officer, says the priority is to return fully to traditional statutory roles while modernising operations. The combination of register maintenance, case decisions and digital processing points to a broader operational reset for union oversight in the UK.

Our earlier coverage of the Competition and Markets Authority’s expanded review of England’s childcare sector explained how the watchdog widened its scrutiny beyond hidden fees to include provider types, pricing, parental choice and the supply of places. We noted that the changing mix of providers—including growth in private equity-backed nurseries alongside a sharp decline in childminders—could shape future recommendations on regulation and public funding.

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