ISU (trade union)

The ISU is a certified independent Trade Union [1] initially representing workers in the defunct UK Immigration Service and now representing staff engaged in the Borders, Customs and Immigration functions of the Home Office.[2]

The ISU has its main office in Harwich, which has overnight and day ferries to and from the Netherlands, 363 days a year. These places have direct rail connections to the places shown, including London and Amsterdam.

The union was founded in 1981 as the Immigration Service Union. It was a split from the Society of Civil and Public Servants (SCPS),[3] founded in protest at the SCPS calling for the repeal of the Immigration Act 1971.[4]

The ISU is active in public campaigning for their members. It has also given evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee[5][6][7] The Windrush Enquiry[8][9] and other parliamentary groups[10]

The ISU is politically independent and not a member of the Trades Union Congress. By definition any round-table talks with its branch of government involve PCS, the SCPS's successor. The latter once wrote it saw ISU as yellow, citing that some senior managers encouraged its splitting off. However, the union has over 40 years of certified independence from the Certification Officer.[11][12]

Membership of the union reached 4,263 in 2006,[12] but, in common with all Civil Service unions, membership fell after the ending of payroll wage check-off (subscriptions automatically deducted where workers have ticked to confirm they wish to be in any recognised union to their employer) in 2015.[13] It declined to 3,018 in that year.[14] In 2020 membership stood at 3,043.[15]

The ISU does not take industrial action lightly and some have accused it of shyness in this respect.[16] Although viewing this as a last resort, such a stage has been reached however the strike was alleviated by policy change so called off. In 2012, ISU members followed broader-base public sector unions to agree to strike against changes to civil service pensions.[17] This vote resulted in a rapid climbdown on the pension cuts plans.[18][19] Similarly, planned heavy-handed tactics so as to stem irregular, dangerous, very small vessel, immigration have also been the subject of polls for some form of industrial action in 2022.[20]