Council to continue funding for trade union activities

Labour members voted against a Tory motion to cut the estimated £400,000 it costs Leeds City Council to support the work of 15 trade union conveners.

Wetherby Tory Councillor Alan Lamb called for an end to the support, saying the money should be spent on front-line services.

The issue was debated at a full council meeting this week but his motion was rejected by Labour and Green members

Coun Lamb claimed that members of the ruling Labour administration should not have been allowed to vote on the issue because of their own links to unions.

He said: “This debate was about prioritising funding to the frontline.

“We all know that local government faces a funding challenge and this debate put forward a fair and reasonable way to save on back office funding.

“It is disappointing that members of the ruling administration do not recognise this and fail to note that trade unions make political donations running to millions of pounds each year and should therefore not need the £417,000 of support paid out by not just Leeds taxpayers, but taxpayers up and down the country.

“I am not suggesting that trade unions do not play a valuable role – they do. But do they need public money to perform their role? The answer should clearly be no.”

After the meeting the chief whip of the Labour group, James Lewis, said: “With the huge financial challenge facing the council we are determined to find savings wherever possible.

“ This means reviewing all aspects of council expenditure, including the support provided to trade unions.

“Instead of putting forward a serious proposal this Conservative motion was nothing more than a cheap political stunt designed to act as a smokescreen for Government cuts. Let’s remember that in Leeds the council is being forced to find savings of £150m over four years.

“The facilities agreement that Leeds Council has in place with the trade unions is standard practice across the public and private sectors in large organisations. Conservative councils, including North Yorkshire and Westminster, have similar agreements in place.”