Trade union duties cost Shropshire and Telford councils more than £750,000
Giving union officials paid time off to perform their duties has cost Shropshire's two main councils more than £750,000 over the past five years.
The figures, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, were branded "astonishing" by the Taxpayers' Alliance, saying it was unreasonable for the general public to subsidise unions in that way.
The figures show that Telford & Wrekin Council gave staff the equivalent of 3,304 paid days off to carry out union activities since 2011, at a cost of £426,063.
The figure has fallen sharply over the period, though, with the cost to the taxpayer falling from £137,650 in 2011/12, to £50,880 last year.
Over the same period Shropshire Council spent £350,691 on unpaid time off. Last year the council spent £61,358 on giving three union representatives paid time off, compared to £61,236 in 2011/12. The figure peaked at £76,723 in 2013/14, after the council announced it would be shedding about 1,700 jobs to save £80 million over three years.
Over the same five-year period, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service spent £8,500 on paid time off for union representatives.
West Midlands Ambulance Service did not provide a figure for the cost to the taxpayer, but said over that time a total of 44 employees claimed the equivalent of 38,457 paid hours off.
Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust said it could not supply figures.
Jonathan Isaby, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "These figures are astonishing. Hard-pressed families expect their taxes to pay for essential services and simply cannot have precious resources wasted this way."
Michele Leith, Shropshire Council's head of human resources, said: "As an employer that recognises trade unions, we are required by law to provide reasonable facilities time, at our own cost, to enable the due process of representation."
Telford & Wrekin Council spokesman Russell Griffin pointed out that the the amount spent had fallen significantly since 2011. "We are pleased that the figures show a reduction over the last five years," he said. "One of the main reasons for that is the positive working relationship the council has with our local trade unions."
