How taxpayers’ money funds trade union campaigns
Mar 2012 02

How taxpayers’ money funds trade union campaigns3

It’s the end of another week in Westminster when the issue of taxpayer-funded trade union activity has been on the agenda. Wednesday morning saw MPs debating the issue and now new evidence appears which suggests that the problem has reached a whole new level, with taxpayer-subsidised trade union branches openly campaigning against government policy in the very departments in which their members are supposed to be working.

The Department of Work & Pensions’ (DWP) Workfare scheme has been in the news recently and several online campaigns opposing  it have appeared such as the ones here and here.

Both these online campaigns list a number of union branches supporting them, including Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) East London DWP branch, PCS DWP Wirral Branch and PCS at the DWP Liverpool.

Our recent paper on the taxpayer funding of trade unions revealed, among other things, the fact that the DWP had the largest number of full-time equivalent trade unionists being funded by the taxpayer of any government department – and those PCS branches at local DWP offices will be among the beneficiaries.

Unions in other wings of government departments supporting the campaigns include the PCS at the Land Registry Computer Systems Branch Plymouth, Unison at Doncaster Local Government, and unions in a variety of local councils.

Taxpayers will be astounded that union branches in government departments can take taxpayers’ money whilst actively campaigning against policies they or their close colleagues may be involved in implementing.

This makes the case for cutting off the taxpayer subsidy to the unions all the more urgent.

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  • Blarg1987

    Ok I accept maths isn’t my strong point but can you ansewer this question please:

    Yes trade Unions are subsidised by tax payers to some extent, however in this time of economic austarity whiy are you ignoring the elephant in the room with regards to tax payer subsidies of the energy sector and private sector companies to the tune of billions of pounds per year who use some of this money to lobby goverment on policy?

    Examples being the private energy firms getting tax payer subsidies for nuclear power and using this money to lobby goverment for new nuclear power stations?

    Yes we should stop subsidies etc but surely an organisation such as this one should be starting with the things that cost the most money to tax payers not the things that one could say represent certain interests.

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