TORY ministers were forced into a major climbdown over one of the most “mean-spirited” parts of the hated Trade Union Bill yesterday to avoid a humiliating defeat.

The government surrendered over its plans to scrap the check-off system, which allows union members’ subs to be collected directly from their wages.

Business Minister and former Tesco boss Baroness Neville-Rolfe announced the retreat during the report stage of the Bill in the Lords yesterday.

She made the concession after the government suffered a triple-whammy of defeats in a single hour over the Bill at the hands of peers last month.

Labour shadow business minister Lord Mendelsohn hailed it as a “turning point” on the Bill, which he branded “one of the most politically partisan pieces of legislation put before Parliament.”

TUC leader Frances O’Grady said: “We are delighted the government has listened and backed away from ending check-off in the public sector.

“Banning workers from choosing to pay union subs in a convenient way through their payroll would, as many warned, have damaged industrial relations and morale in key services.”

Unison leader Dave Prentis said: “There’s much that’s wrong with the Trade Union Bill, but banning unions from using the check-off system to collect membership fees from employees in the public sector was among the most mean-spirited of all its proposals.”

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka added: “This is welcome news and shows the pressure we are applying is working, but the Trade Union Bill is rotten to the core and no amount of tinkering by the government can change that.

“The proposals are a vile cocktail of every-thing that is wrong with the Tories’ approach to working people and our economy, and the Bill should be scrapped in its entirety.”

The government does not have a majority in the Lords and cross-bench peers had spoken out against the check-off proposals.

Unions will now have to pay for the administration of the system, which they had already offered to do and is already the case in many places.

However, check-off has already been removed from much of the Civil Service and will not be reinstated.

The entire Bill remains likely to be forced through Parliament next week after the Commons considers amendments made by peers.

But the government was warned yesterday to prepare for a court “battle” by Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones.

Mr Jones laid down the legal challenge after launching Labour’s manifesto for the Welsh Assembly elections, which includes a pledge to repeal the “regressive” legislation.

In an interview with the Star, Mr Jones said: “We can repeal those sections of the Act that we think affect devolved public services, which we argue are our responsibility.

“I’ve no doubt that it will end up in court but we’re ready for that battle. We’ve been there before.”

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also vowed yesterday to block the Bill in Scotland and help “disrupt” its implementation across Britain.

“I can promise that the SNP government stands foursquare with you in your opposition to this Bill — and will do absolutely everything we can to stand up for workers’ rights,” she told STUC congress in Dundee.