The General Secretary of Unite the union, Sharon Graham has today (Wednesday 3 November) written to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Chief Executive to demand trade union recognition for the workforce.

Staff across the financial regulator have been joining Unite following many months of turmoil within the organisation. With no formally recognised trade union, staff have expressed frustration at the leadership and direction of the FCA and this has brought a significant growth in membership of Unite.

The new head of Unite, Sharon Graham has called on the Chief Executive Nikhil Rathi “to make a request for voluntary recognition of Unite by the FCA under Schedule 1A of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 for a bargaining unit consisting of all FCA employees of the FCA below the Grade of Head of Department”.

Sharon Graham, Unite General Secretary said: “Staff at the Financial Conduct Authority are flooding to join Unite as their independent trade union voice. The FCA management cannot any longer stick their heads in the sand and ignore the anger within their workforce. It is time for them to recognise Unite as the representative of staff in the FCA.

“Employees at the regulator want to be heard. Last month Unite launched a staff petition to secure the right to be formally recognised to represent workers across the organisation – the first time this has happened in the organisation’s history – following the massive growth in staff joining the union.

“The phenomenal response to the survey is a clear response to the consultation on changes to pay and grading as part of new CEO Nikhil Rathi’s transformation plans.”

Under the legislation the FCA has ten working days to respond to this request from Unite, after which time the union has the right to apply to the Central Arbitration Committee for recognition.

Unite is dedicated to advancing the jobs, pay and conditions of its members and will fight back against any efforts to diminish workers’ living standards.