Sep 2011 14

TaxPayers’ Alliance reveals union fat cats12

As unions demand a mass movement against the spending cuts at the TUC conference, the TaxPayers’ Alliance reveals the huge pay packets of union leaders.

The Trade Union Rich List 2011 uses new data that has been published since the TPA’s previous Trade Union Rich List. This relates to the financial year 2010-11 and is the most up to date information available on the pay and perks of trade union leaders.

Click here to read the full report

Click here for the complete press release

The key findings of this research are:

  • 38 trade union general secretaries and chief executives received remuneration of more than £100,000 in 2010-11 (37 in 2009-10)
  • The total pay of the general secretaries and chief executives earning over £100,000 was nearly £5.2 million in 2010-11
  • Former joint General Secretary of Unite Derek Simpson received over £500,000, including severance pay of £310,000

Click here to read the full report

Click here for the complete press release

Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said:

“It is absolutely disgusting that union barons plotting disruptive strikes are enjoying six-figure pay and benefit packages. There is more than enough pressure on families already without the inconvenience of major strikes. If union members really think their leaders are worth this kind of money, they should pay for it themselves. This is one more reason to end the indirect subsidy of all their spending unions get with thousands of activists paid at taxpayers’ expense.”

Related Posts

  • Sonik

    While I can understand the TPA’s campaign against high public sector wages (note I say understand not agree with), how can they take a view on a union funded through member contributions? You say they are indirectly funded by taxpayers, but that is a fairly weak link really.

    Unions which are opposing cuts are simply doing their job, in the same way that the TPA supporting cuts are doing theirs.

    However, if this is the line that the TPA would like to take, I would like to know how much is Matthew Elliot paid as head of the Tax Payers Alliance?

  • Malcolm Bond

    I agree with Sonik. Whilst it may grate with us that these dinosaurs are so highly-paid for disrupting UK plc, they are paid for by their members’ subs, not by the tax payer, and it is up to the TU membership what they do with their money.

  • TibGracchus

    Trade Union pilgrims, in other words public sector workers who work exclusively for the unions while retaining their public sector pay, number into their thousands. 

    Even if they didn’t though, considering they are working for their members who they claim are hit hard by the governments actions, it is strange to think that they would use the money in this way, why not lower subs instead of pocketing half a million pound in a year?

    • Sonik

      1. There may be thousands, but there are millions of members, so the majority of their money still comes from subs.

      2. Whether it is strange or not, it is a question for Union members themselves, not for the Taxpayers Alliance. I am sure the same question could be posed to many other private sector shareholders about how their senior staff are paid.

      My arguements here are making me sound like a unionist (I couldn’t be further from that) but this sort of article does irritate me, as it is clearly the TPA stepping into lefty-bashing.

  • Anonymous

    Unions are free to pay their leaders what they like.  Just as private banks can pay their employees what they like.
     
    Non-story from a libertarian’s perspective.

  • Sophie

    Sonik,
    No problem with Union bosses receiving 6 figure pay & benefits – the fact is that we taxpayers subsidise these Union wages.

    As someone who is not a member of a Union & a taxpayer I see absolutely no reason why my taxes should support any Union employee. Its not fair & is utterly wrong – especially when I read pay settlements for the Union fat cats above.

    If Union members believe that their leaders are worth this money then they should fund it entirely themselves & not sponge off the beleagured British taxpayer.

  • Pingback: If the Red Eds had their way, then 38 union bosses would be paying the top-rate of tax « Joshua Lachkovic's Blog

  • Blarg1987

    Although this is good research I am still awaiting for the TPA to release its report naming and shaming both people who avoid paying tax which costs us tax payers billions of pounds a year and therefore higher tax returns and CEO’s pay and privlages who obtain the majority of their buisness through goverment contracts, either the TPA should name and shame all, or not at all otherwise you can be easily accused of hippocracy.

  • Piscator

    Sonik and Spartacus are right. I don’t think that any of these Union “leaders” receive any money from the taxpayer for  their albeit vast salaries. Perhaps Sophie is confusing them with workplace union reps in the public sector, who I don’t think should be paid, as I don’t think local government councillors should be trousering taxpayer money in the vast sums they do.

  • Anthony Manders

    I fail to understand why trade unions should receive tax payers money under any circumstances and for any reason. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1372803671 Mark Chisholm

    These will be the same comrades that stand shoulder to shoulder with the common man then? Nope. Didn’t think so. I have no issue with people making a shed load of wedge – I’d like to be rich too. I do have an issue with hypocrisy  and that generally comes in spades with the unions and the Labour party. They have the bare faced cheek to stand on podiums and spout left wing nonsense, filling their members with rhetoric designed to inflame passions about the injustice of fat cats and company profits – then go on to pillage wherever they can in order to feather their own nests. Orwell was bone chillingly close with Animal Farm.

  • Pingback: » Back Boris Again for an Even Better London Cambridge University Conservative Association