The BBC reported this week that Shropshire Council has cut the subsidy it gives to the UNISON trade union by almost £100K. The leader of the council, Keith Barrow said 'it was not right that money paid to Unison was used in political campaigns against the authority'. This is a good start, and as we have said before, trade union activities should be wholly funded out of members' subscriptions, not partly funded by taxpayers.
The news elsewhere is not so good. A motion to cut the amount we pay for union activities in Leeds was defeated, and it is the same story in another West Yorkshire Council, Kirklees. We pay £400K to help fund the unions in Leeds, and £339K in Kirklees.
There is some brighter news from London though. The Guido Fawkes blog reports that Jane Pilgrim (the nurse who worked full-time for her union, instead of tending the sick) has lost her cushy number at St George's Hospital in Tooting. She is now back working as a nurse - the job we pay her for in the first place. There is some justice in this world after all.
If you spot any similar stories in your local newspaper, please get in touch.