Embargoed: 22:30, Saturday 13th July 2024
- Almost £100 million was spent by the public sector on trade union facility time in 2022-23.
-
There were 23,592 public sector workers moonlighting as trade union reps in 2022-23, the second highest on record, with the full-time equivalent figure of 20,791 the highest on record.
- TPA first uncovered the cost of facility time and the existence of trade union ‘pilgrims’ in groundbreaking research in 2010.
As union leaders warn that Sir Keir Starmer’s government will have “no honeymoon period”, and while new health secretary Wes Streeting sits down with union officials to try and resolve ongoing industrial disputes, the TaxPayers’ Alliance can reveal that 23,592 public sector workers cost taxpayers almost £100 million in trade union facility time in 2022-23
This is an increase of 468 from 2021-22 and makes 2022-23 the second highest number since the Cabinet Office began publishing the data in 2017-18, and the highest number ever recorded in full-time equivalent terms, at 20,791. Since 2017-18, public sector trade union facility time has cost taxpayers a total of £526 million.
The previous government had taken a number of steps to clamp down on trade union facility time, with former minister Esther McVey writing to the worst-offending councils in April of this year. However the new housing and local government secretary, Angela Rayner, told the TUC in September 2023 that a Labour administration would change trade union law to ensure “sufficient facility time and access for unions to represent members.”
Facility time is paid time-off taken by trade union officials to carry out union duties. At a total cost of £96,767,665 in 2022-23, this was a £7.4 million or 8.4 per cent increase on the year before. The research shows over 1,000 public sector workers spent all of their working time on union duties, with more than half employed by local authorities and another 228 by the NHS. A further 507 spent between 51-99 per cent of their time on union duties.
Organisations with trade union representatives spending 100 per cent of working hours on union duties include NHS Lothian, with 48, Transport for London with 35, the Scottish Prison Service with 25 and the bankrupt Birmingham city council, with 30 across its central and education functions.
The TaxPayers’ Alliance first uncovered the cost of facility time and the existence of trade union ‘pilgrims’ in groundbreaking research in 2010 and ran a campaign called Stop Subsidising the Strikes in 2022.
READ THE FULL RESEARCH HERE
Key findings:
- In 2022-23, there were a total of 23,592 public sector trade union representatives, an increase of 468 from 2021-22. This is the second highest number since the Cabinet Office began publishing the data in 2017-18, and the highest number ever recorded in full-time equivalent (FTE) terms.
- 1,566 public sector employees spent more than 50 per cent of their working hours on facility time, with 1,059 spending 100 per cent of their working hours on facility time, the second highest number since the data was first published.
- Public sector trade union facility time cost £96,767,665 in 2022-23. This is a £7.4 million or 8.4 per cent increase from 2021-22.
- Transport for London had the largest facility time bill, with their 881 trade union representatives costing £8,000,000 in 2022-23.
- The Department for Work and Pensions had the largest number of trade union representatives at 1,023, costing £654,413 in 2022-23.
- NHS Lothian had the largest number of trade union representatives spending 100 per cent of their working hours on facility time, 48 at a cost of almost £1.9 million in 2022-23.
- Civil service organisations had zero trade union representatives spending 100 percent of their working hours on facility time, except for the Scottish government and the Scottish Prison Service which had five and 25 employees in this category respectively.
READ THE FULL RESEARCH HERE
John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said:
“Brits will be furious that thousands of staff who should be providing public services are moonlighting for the trade unions instead.
“After years of intense industrial action disrupting the vital services that taxpayers pay so handsomely for, it will add insult to injury for many to learn that they have effectively been subsidising the strikes.
“The new government should recognise the significant savings that could be made by clamping down on the worst excesses.”
TPA spokespeople are available for live and pre-recorded broadcast interviews via 07795 084 113 (no texts)
|