CIVIL servants have launched further legal action against the Home Office for “illegally” stopping payroll collection of union members’ subs.

The PCS union has already won £3 million damages in an out-of-court settlement, after ministers stopped the ‘check-off’ system of direct deduction of subs from government workers’ pay in 2015.

Now the union is carrying out its promise to pursue further pay-outs from other government departments for damages caused by check-off’s withdrawal.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “A deep moral and financial injustice was done to our members which was a deliberate attempt to bankrupt PCS.

“The unprecedented, million-pound compensation payment we received is just the beginning of our fight for justice.

“The removal of check-off was politically motivated, aimed at undermining the union’s ability to defend its members’ jobs and to effectively oppose the Tory government’s devastating austerity programme. 

“Instead of negotiating with the union properly, ministers thought it more expedient to unlawfully target us financially.”