New TPA Research: Trade Union Rich List

With Trade Union Leaders flexing their muscles with strike threats and warnings about impending public spending cuts, the TaxPayers' Alliance presents its first Trade Union Rich List. The list compiles the detailed remuneration of all Trade Union General Secretaries and Chief Executives whose total remuneration exceeded £100,000 in the financial year 2008-09.

The list includes many of the leaders who have recently led or threatened to lead strikes in response to cuts in public spending, as well as many unions which receive taxpayers' money through the Union Modernisation Fund and the Union Learning Fund.

The full report can be found online here.

Key Findings

• 38 Trade Union General Secretaries and Chief Executives received remuneration of over £100,000 in 2008-09.
• The list includes a number of prominent union leaders who are campaigning and threatening strike action against proposed cuts in public spending or reductions in gold-plated public sector pensions, including:

• All data in the report is drawn from the Annual Report of the
  Certification Officer, which is based on information provided by the
  Trade Unions themselves.

Matthew Elliott, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "It is hypocritical for firebrand trade union leaders to be calling for strikes and higher taxes while they themselves live a life of well-paid luxury. It is small wonder that they aren't worried about the tax burden or the national debt when they are so well-off, but it is ordinary, over-stretched taxpayers who will suffer if they get their way. Their bluster should be ignored, and the Government should stop pouring taxpayers' money into union coffers, as they clearly have more thanenough cash already."

The full report can be found online here.

For further comments, media enquiries and to arrange broadcast interviews, please contact:Mark Wallace, Campaign Director of the TaxPayers' Alliance, on 07736 009 548 or at [email protected]

To discuss research and methodology, please contact:Matthew Sinclair, Research Director of the TaxPayers' Alliance, on 07771 990 174 or at [email protected]

Notes to Editors

1) The TaxPayers' Alliance is Britain's independent, non-partisan campaign for lower taxes and better services. Founded in 2004, it has over 55,000 supporters nationwide.

2) The full report can be found online here

3)The amounts paid to various Trade Unions from the Union Modernisation Fund can be found here

4) Dave Prentis, General Secretary of Unison, has previously been caught falsely denying his remuneration levels on national television. To watch a video on this issue click here