Taxpayers foot the bill for full-time union reps

Figures obtained by the Express & Star show that there are workers in councils and other public bodies around the West Midlands seconded to their unions full time.

The work is permitted under laws governing so-called 'facility time'. But it has sparked anger as many unions fund the Labour party. Critics say they should use their resources to pay for their own reps.

The Unite union gave Labour £777,740 in the three months to September. Unison and GMB gave £372,603 and £297,698 respectively. But if their members are employed by councils and become reps, they can continue to be paid by the local authority even if they are on union business.

Cannock Chase Tory MP Aidan Burley has campaigned for unions to fund their activities for themselves. At Sandwell Council, a full-time Unison branch secretary is on £30,851 a year while a full-time Unite union convenor gets £30,011. The GMB also has a full-time rep on £20,858.

Councils in Walsall, Wolverhampton and Dudley also employ full-time union reps, the figures revealed. There is less provision at district councils where no-one spends all their time on union duties. South Staffordshire Council lets two people have time off for union activities but says it is 'minimal'.

There are six reps at Lichfield District Council and three at Wyre Forest Council.

Cannock Chase Council has five reps, split between GMB, Unison and UCATT. One of the UCATT reps spent 17 per cent of their time on union matters last year.

It is also different at fire services. Staffordshire Fire Service has 19 reps who do union work on their days off while West Midlands Fire Service gave six people between one and three days each paid leave for union work last year. Mr Burley said: "Hard-pressed people will be astonished to learn that rather than doing the job which they are being paid for, there are members of council staff working for their trade union at the expense of the taxpayer."

Brian Strutton, GMB national secretary for public services, defended facility time, saying it meant union reps could be available for their duties. "It's time off from their job, not being paid for trade union work," he said. "By reducing the number of employment tribunal cases, the saving to employers and the taxpayer is between £22 million and £41m a year."