Tory ministers suffered a hitch yesterday in their campaign to abolish automatic deduction of trade union subs from government workers’ wages.

Normally tame Lib Dem ministers let out a squeal of protest against Tory plans to scrap the traditional check-off system for collecting union dues directly on pay day.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg declared that Lib Dem cabinet ministers would block any change to the check-off system in their own Whitehall departments.

Mr Clegg told a press conference that “needless” abolition of the current system would be “pointless and mean.”

Union-bashing Communities Secretary Eric Pickles and Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude have spearheaded the move against direct deduction. 

Mr Maude has written to every government department urging them to consider ending the current system of direct deduction from wages.

But Mr Pickles suffered an embarrassing setback last year when the High Court blocked his earlier attempt to end check-off in his own department.

Labour shadow Cabinet Office minister Michael Dugher yesterday demanded that the Tories come clean about their future plans.

Mr Dugher warned that ending the check-off system could actually cost millions of pounds.

Labour MPs’ trade union group chairman Ian Lavery is leading demands for the government to halt its plans and instead engage in constructive discussions with the unions.

Mr Lavery put down a parliamentary protest motion pointing out that ending the check-off system would have a particular impact on struggling low-paid workers, who could be subject to bank charges if subscriptions were not taken directly from salaries.