STOP Taxpayer-Funded Trade Union Facility Time!

Workers of England Union Calls for Taxpayer-Funded Trade Union Facility Time to Stop. [Part 2] 

In Part One, we exposed how workers can be left relying on workplace Trade Union reps who may lack the experience, training or independence required to represent them properly.

Now we must follow the money.

Unite, Unison and the GMB have provided approximately £150 million in political funding in support of the Labour Party over time. While these Trade Unions spend millions supporting the Labour Party, taxpayers are also meeting the cost of their activities across public services through Trade Union facility time.

Facility time allows public-sector employees to undertake trade union duties during paid working hours. Their salaries continue to be paid by the NHS, councils, schools, government departments and other public bodies.
That means the taxpayer pays for these Trade Union’s workplace reps.

The figures we examined show facility-time costs of £18.9 million for the NHS, £29.4 million for local authorities, £19.2 million for education and £13.7 million for the Civil Service.

That is a staggering total of £81.2 million.

The Indirect Political Subsidy

This money is not transferred directly from the taxpayer into Labour Party’s bank account. The arrangement is more subtle. So don’t be fooled!!

Taxpayers fund the workplace activities of Trade Unions, so those Trade Unions retain more of their own considerable resources. Unite, Unison and the GMB then use millions from their political funds to support the Labour Party.

That is an indirect backdoor subsidy.

If these Trade Unions can afford to provide approximately £150 million in political funding and support, why are they not reimbursing public services for the cost of their facility time?

Why should NHS patients, schoolchildren, council taxpayers and public-service users carry those costs?

The Frontline Impact on Public Services

The £18.9 million NHS figure alone is equivalent to approximately 589 starting Band 5 nursing salaries, before employer costs. It could contribute towards more nurses, appointments, community services and frontline care.

The £29.4 million spent by local authorities could support rubbish collections, libraries, road repairs, youth services, adult social care and sporting facilities.

The £19.2 million education figure could contribute towards teachers, classroom assistants, specialist support and better resources for children.

Instead, public services carry the cost while politically affiliated Trade Unions retain the financial freedom to give millions to the Labour Party.

This is even harder to justify when members are not receiving effective workplace representation. Employees facing disciplinary hearings, grievances, redundancy, bullying or sickness procedures need experienced representatives. Too often, they receive limited preparation, poor communication and representatives who are unwilling or unable to challenge management.

Demanding an End to Backdoor Subsidies

The Workers of England Union is calling for taxpayer-funded facility time in its present form to stop.

Where limited facility time is genuinely required for statutory representation, it must be tightly controlled, independently audited and fully disclosed. Where Trade Unions require representatives to conduct substantial Trade union business, those Trade Unions should employ them directly or reimburse the public body concerned.

To be clear: -
(1) Trade Union members’ subscriptions should be used to represent members.
(2) Public money should be used to provide public services.

Trade unions should not expect taxpayers to subsidise their workplace operations while they use their own millions to finance a political party.

That back door subsidy and the Workers of England Union is calling for it to be closed.

Stephen Morris
General Secretary
Workers of England Union

Key Takeaways

• £81.2M Public Facility Time Breakdown: NHS (£18.9M), local authorities (£29.4M), education (£19.2M), and civil service (£13.7M) fund workplace union reps through tax revenue.
• Indirect Backdoor Subsidy: Public funding of union workplace operations allows major unions to preserve their capital to deliver £150M+ in political donations.
• Frontline Service Opportunity Cost: The £18.9M NHS facility time spend equals ~589 Band 5 nursing salaries, while local council funds could support social care and libraries.
• Call for Total Reform: WEU demands an end to un-reimbursed facility time, insisting public money must fund public services while member fees cover union business.