Union Membership Form
A printable trade union membership application: member details, the admission fee and subscription, a declaration, consent to deduct dues from salary, and an office-use box.
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Please fill in this form in capital letters and hand it to your unit secretary.
| Full name | |
| Father’s or spouse’s name | |
| Employee no. and date of joining service | |
| Designation and department | |
| Place of work | |
| Home address | |
| Mobile and email |
Declaration
I wish to join [union name] and agree to abide by its constitution and rules.
Authorisation to deduct subscription from salary
I authorise [employer] to deduct my subscription from my salary and pay it to [union name] until I cancel this in writing.
For office use
| Membership no. | Admitted on | ||
| Approved by | Remarks |
What is a Union Membership Form?
A union membership form is the written application a worker fills in and signs to join a trade union or staff association. It records who the member is and where they work, their promise to follow the union’s constitution and rules and to pay the admission fee and subscription, and, if they choose, their authorisation for the employer to deduct the subscription from salary. Without a signed form, a union cannot show when someone joined or that they agreed to deductions. The form on this page prints a blank application with your union’s details at the top.
Union office-bearers hand out membership forms when new employees join, during membership drives, at gate meetings and whenever a worker asks how to join. Staff associations, officers’ associations and employees’ welfare associations use the same kind of form. The applicant fills it in by hand and signs it; the union office checks it, admits the member, gives a membership number and enters the details in its membership register. The signed form stays on file as the record of when, and on what terms, the person joined, and the union turns to it when questions come up about voting rights, dues or deductions from salary.
In India, trade union registration and union rules now fall under the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 and the rules made under it by the Central or State Government; the Code came into force on 21 November 2025 and replaced the Trade Unions Act, 1926. Within that framework, the union’s own constitution or rules decide who may join, the admission fee and subscription, and who approves applications, so print only what they say. Deducting subscriptions from salary — the check-off system — needs each member’s written authorisation, and the employer’s agreement and payroll process also matter, so check with management or HR. In the US, check the local’s constitution and bylaws and any dues deduction terms in the contract.
A membership form is an application, not membership itself: the person becomes a member when the union admits them under its rules, and the office-use box records that. It is not proof of employment, and it has nothing to do with registering the union, which is a separate process under the Code. It is also not the card a US worker signs to show support for a union at a workplace no union represents yet, often called a union card. The deduction authorisation records the member’s consent; whether and how deductions are made also depends on the employer’s agreement and payroll process.
What to put in a Union Membership Form
These are the details this template asks for. Anything left blank is marked in red on the preview so you can see what is still missing.
| Field | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Union name | For example: Kusagra Supplies Employees’ Union |
| Registration no. optional | As shown on the union’s registration certificate |
| Union office address | For example: D.No. 12-4-56, Arundelpet |
| Admission fee optional | For example: ₹50 |
| Subscription optional | For example: ₹100 a month |
| Deduct the subscription from salary? | A salary deduction needs the member’s written consent and the employer’s agreement |
| Employer (for the deduction) optional | For example: Kusagra Supplies Ltd. |
How to make a union membership form
Enter the union’s name, number and address
Type the union’s full name exactly as registered, its registration number and the address of the union office. They print at the top of the form as a letterhead, so a completed form can always be traced to the right union and returned to the right office. If your union has units at several workplaces, add the unit to the address, so each form comes back to the people who will admit the member.
Print the fee and subscription from the rules
Enter the admission fee and the subscription exactly as your constitution or rules fix them, or as last revised by the body the rules allow to change them, such as the General Body. Say how often the subscription is paid — monthly, quarterly or yearly — as the rules set it. The applicant’s declaration refers to these amounts, so a figure that differs from the rules will cause disputes later, when dues are collected or deducted.
Decide whether to include the salary deduction
Choose Yes to add an authorisation in which the member asks the employer to deduct the subscription from salary and pay it to the union — the check-off system. Choose No if members pay the union directly, in cash, by cheque or online. The deduction needs each member’s written authorisation, but that may not be enough on its own: the employer’s agreement and payroll process also matter, so check with management before you print.
Name the employer who will deduct
If you include the deduction, enter the employer’s name as it appears on members’ payslips, such as Kusagra Supplies Ltd. The authorisation is addressed to that employer, so a shortened or informal name can delay processing. Ask HR or payroll whether they accept this authorisation as it is, need a copy for each member or use their own form as well, and agree how the deducted amounts and the list of members will reach the union.
Print, collect, admit and file
Print copies for the membership drive or the union office. When a form comes back, check that every line is filled in, the declaration is signed and, if chosen, the authorisation is signed too. Admit the applicant as your rules provide, then complete the ‘For office use’ box with the membership number, date of admission and who approved it. Enter the member in the register, send the authorisation to payroll and keep the forms locked away.
Union membership form sample
What the printed form asks, followed by a sample of how a new member might fill it in. The fee and subscription shown are made up; use the amounts fixed by your union’s rules.
What the printed form contains
KUSAGRA SUPPLIES EMPLOYEES’ UNION
Regd. No. TU/GNT/2019/112
D.No. 12-4-56, Arundelpet, Guntur 522002
Application for Membership
Applicant’s details
Full name · Father’s or spouse’s name · Employee no.
Designation · Department · Place of work · Date of joining service
Home address · Mobile · Email
Declaration
A statement that the applicant will abide by the union’s constitution and rules and pay the admission fee (₹50) and the subscription (₹100 a month), with signature and date
Authorisation to deduct the subscription from salary
Addressed to Kusagra Supplies Ltd.: permission to deduct the subscription from the member’s salary and pay it to the union, with signature and date
For office use
Membership no. · Admitted on · Approved by · Remarks
Sample entries from a new member
Full name: Ravi Kumar
Father’s or spouse’s name: K. Venkateswarlu
Employee no.: KSL-1187
Designation: Facilities Assistant · Department: Administration
Place of work: Head office, Plot 47, Auto Nagar, Guntur
Date of joining service: 1 June 2021
Home address: D.No. 7-3-21, Lakshmipuram, Guntur 522007
Mobile: +91 90000 41187 · Email: ravi.kumar@example.com
Declaration: signed, Ravi Kumar, 19 October 2026
Authorisation to deduct from salary: signed, 19 October 2026
For office use
Membership no.: 0612 · Admitted on: 22 October 2026
Approved by: P. Lakshmi, General Secretary
Remarks: Authorisation sent to payroll on 23 October 2026
Common mistakes
- Printing an admission fee or subscription that differs from the constitution or the latest General Body decision, so members dispute what they owe and the union’s accounts no longer match its rules.
- Sending names to payroll for deduction without each member’s signed written authorisation, which leaves the deductions open to challenge and gives the employer reason to refuse them.
- Leaving the office-use box blank, so there is no record of the membership number, admission date or approval when someone’s right to vote or stand in a union election is questioned.
- Not telling payroll when a member resigns or withdraws the authorisation, so deductions carry on, have to be refunded and damage the member’s trust in the union.
- Keeping completed forms in an open tray or passing copies around, which exposes members’ home addresses, phone numbers and employee details to people with no reason to see them.
Frequently asked questions
How do I join a trade union?
Ask a union representative or the union office for a membership form. Fill in your details, sign the declaration agreeing to the union’s constitution and rules, and either pay the admission fee and first subscription or sign the authorisation for deduction from salary, if the union and your employer use one. Hand the form in at the union office. The union admits you in the way its rules provide and gives you a membership number.
What is the check-off system?
Check-off is the system under which an employer deducts union subscriptions from members’ salaries and pays the total to the union, usually with a list of the members concerned. It needs each member’s written authorisation, which is why many membership forms include one. The employer’s agreement and payroll process also matter, so the union and management settle the details between them. A member who wants the deduction stopped should write to both the union and the employer.
Can union subscription be deducted from salary?
Yes, where the employer runs a check-off system: the employer deducts the subscription from salary and pays it to the union. The member has to give written authorisation, usually by signing an authorisation on the membership form or a separate form, and it also depends on the employer’s agreement and payroll process. If your employer does not offer it, pay the union directly. Check your payslip after the first month to confirm the right amount is being deducted.
What details are needed in a union membership form?
The member’s full name; their father’s or spouse’s name in India, or date of birth in the US; employee number, designation, department and place of work; date of joining service; and home address, mobile and email. Then comes a signed declaration agreeing to the union’s constitution and rules and to pay the fee and subscription, an optional signed authorisation for salary deduction, and an office-use box for the membership number, admission date and approval.
Who can become a member of a trade union?
The union’s constitution or rules decide. A union usually admits employees of the establishment, trade or industry it covers, and some unions are limited to one category of staff, such as officers, clerical staff or workers in one unit. The rules may also set conditions, such as paying the admission fee or holding a particular kind of job. Read the membership clause of the constitution, or ask the union office, before you apply.
Can I leave a trade union?
Your union’s constitution or rules say how to resign. Usually a member writes to the General Secretary giving the date from which they wish to leave, and the rules may say what happens to subscriptions already due. If your subscription is deducted from salary, also write to HR or payroll to withdraw the authorisation, and check your next payslip. In the US, read the dues authorisation you signed and ask the local how and when it can be cancelled.
What is the difference between a union membership form and a union card?
In the US, ‘signing a union card’ usually means signing a card to show you want a union to represent you at your workplace, often before any union represents it. A membership form is the application to join a union, with a declaration and, if you choose, an authorisation to deduct dues from salary. Once you are admitted, many unions give members a membership card, which people also call a union card, usually showing your name and membership number.
This page explains general practice and is not legal advice. Requirements differ between countries and, in some cases, between states — check what applies where the document will be used.