‘Hypocrisy’ of 31 union leaders on more than £100,000 a year
THIRTY-ONE trade union leaders pocket salaries of more than £100,000, a report revealed yesterday.
The labour movement fat cats, overwhelmingly from public sector unions, received more than £4million a year between them, based on data from the last two years.
Four senior staff at rail unions involved in strike action that has brought misery to millions of commuters shared nearly £500,000 in total.
The lavish salaries were exposed by the TaxPayers’ Alliance pressure group to mark the annual Trades Union Congress conference being held in Manchester this week. John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “These union bosses claim to speak for workers but it looks hypocritical when they take home whopping salaries at the same time as they criticise high pay elsewhere.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, was the highest-paid leader identified in the Trade Union Rich List published last night.
His remuneration package in 2017 was £212,981, says the report. It included a salary of £161,672, employer’s national insurance contribution of £21,656, pension contribution of £19,970, car benefits of £6,231 and £3,452 for private health insurance.
Second highest paid was TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady on £174,999.
Two leaders from the RMT rail union, general secretary Mick Cash and his assistant Mick Lynch, had salaries of £149,676 and £105,520 respectively in 2016.
The 31 union bosses listed in the report received an average salary of £131,198.
The TUC said: “Trade union funding and general secretaries’ salaries are open and transparent. By contrast, no one knows who funds the Taxpayers’ Alliance.”