News from Brian Coleman: "Scandal" of £1.4million of Londoners’ taxes used to employ trade union activists

Brian Coleman AM has called the employment of 48 full-time trade union activists by Transport for London, the Metropolitan Police Service, the London Fire Brigade and the Greater London Authority, at the cost of £1,354,469 to the taxpayer, “absolutely scandalous”.

London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden, Mr Coleman has learned that:

• At Transport for London there are 31 are trade union members who are paid to work full-time on union business at a cost of £879,000 per year.

• The Met Police Service has 14 full-time union staff at a cost of £361,000 per year, with another 20 police officers who work on behalf of the Police Federation, Superintendents' Association and Chief Police Officers' Staff Associations.

• The London Fire Brigade has 2.5 full-time employees, costing £88,000 per year.

• At City Hall there is one member of staff employed full-time who works on union duties on a salary of around £42,069 per year.

Commenting, Mr Coleman said: “The vast payment of Londoners’ money every year to trade union activists to work full-time on union business is absolutely scandalous.

“The £1,354,469 should be spent on improving the capital’s transport, policing and fire services not on funding trade union activities. This will be especially shocking to many people who have faced disruptive strikes recently.

 “This 1970s practice of public organisations paying out for full-time salaries to union activists has no place in the 21^st century and should be ended immediately.”

ENDS