The article below highlights the conflict of interests between the British Trade Unions, their members, and public services.
It needs to be noted that the Workers of England do not receive any money out of the public purse, we work solely from membership subscriptions, making us a truly independent union.
Whilst the article concentrates on Wales the situation in England is just as bad, if not worst.
The Public sector are having to make massive cuts, however the same public sectors are paying £Millions towards the British trade union representatives when they should be paid out of trade union membership subscriptions, these are the same representative who are supposed to protect jobs but would be more inclined to protect their own cushy number, you see the conflict.
Stop Funding Trade Union Representatives with tax payers money and direct the saving into front line services
Janet Finch-Saunders: Welsh taxpayers spend millions each year subsidising trade union activities
Janet Finch-Saunders is the Shadow Member for Local Government and the Assembly Member for Aberconwy on the Welsh Assembly.
The Welsh Labour Government, supported by Plaid Cymru, UKIP, and the single Liberal Democrat in the National Assembly for Wales, recently voted to pass the Trade Union (Wales) Bill – which seeks to repeal elements of the UK Government’s Trade Union Act 2016.
Across Wales there are around 80 officers employed full-time on ‘Union Facilities Time’, working a total of 2,978 hours per week – at a cost of approximately £2.1 million a year.
Further, an additional 153 officers are employed on a part-time basis to carry out Trade Union responsibilities.
If each member of part time staff worked just one day a week on Trade Union ‘Facilities Time’ it would cost the taxpayer an additional £1.03 million – this is based on an 8 hour day x 52 weeks, on the average Welsh public sector salary of £28,489 per annum.
All of the staff members accounted for in these figures are paid for by the Welsh taxpayer.
Across Wales, public bodies are taking difficult decisions about staffing and funding in order to protect vital services. Meanwhile, these millions of pounds in vital funds are being diverted away from the frontline to subsidise the political work of the unions. It’s a national scandal. This money should be spent on more nurses and teachers, not union reps, and there is no justification in this day and age for the rich public sector unions to be receiving public money.
Of course, the Welsh Conservatives have made it clear that the taxpayer shouldn’t be picking up the tab for Trade Union duties – that’s what their subscriptions are for. I argued this passionately during the debates at each stage of the scrutiny of this Bill.
Unsurprisingly, maybe, this fell on deaf ears. Trade Unions were responsible for 91 per cent of the registered election campaign donations for the Labour party in May.
Whilst Welsh Labour, Plaid Cymru, UKIP and the Lib Dems continue to hide behind excuses, the Welsh Conservatives will continue to call for openness and transparency – for the proactive publication of information of interest to the public, in all areas
