Union funding within the Department for Education
A freedom of information disclosure regarding union funding.
Documents
Details
- Date requested: 02 August 2011
- Publish date: 23 August 2011
- Updated: 25 October 2011
Request
Can the Department provide details regarding the following:
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The total amount of money paid to all trade unions for financial periods a) 2009-10 and b) 2010-11 broken down by trade union.
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For each trade union for which it applies, please provide the number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff working for the union (this is sometimes called ‘Trade Union facility time’) in a) 2009-10 and b) 2010-11.
Release
The Department does not give money to the trade unions it recognizes as an employer - the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS); Prospect; and First Division Association. To support specific initiatives payments have been made to other trade unions, as detailed in the table below.
| Union | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
|---|---|---|
| National Union of Teachers (NUT) | £4,482.50 | Nil |
| National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) | £125,000 | £100,000 |
| Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) | £587.50 | Nil |
| National Association of head Teachers (NAHT) | £9,442.84 | Nil |
A small number of staff is paid salary for trade union activities. In 2009-10 there was one full-time member of staff supporting the trade union secretary and three full-time members of staff who work and represent all three unions. For 2010-11 this resource was reduced to 3 officials.
In addition a number of other lay officials carry out TU-related activities. For 2009-10 these activities were capped at 60% of their full time post and for 2010-11 this cap was reduced to 40%.