Who Does Your Trade Union Really Work For?

When things go wrong at work, that is when you discover the real value of your Trade Union.

If you are facing a disciplinary hearing, grievance, redundancy, workplace dispute or simply feel that you are being treated unfairly, you need someone beside you who is experienced, confident and completely focused on representing your interests.
So, ask yourself a simple question: who do you want sitting beside you?

Do you want a workplace representative who is employed by the same organisation, works within the same management structure and may have their own working relationships and career to consider? Or would you rather have an independent Trade Union representative who comes into your workplace whose responsibility is to represent you?

Independence does not mean confrontation.

The Workers of England Union believes the best employment relationships are built when employers and employees work together. Businesses need skilled, productive and committed workers. Workers need successful employers that can provide secure jobs, fair pay and decent working conditions.

A good Trade Union should understand both sides of that relationship.
It should be strong enough to challenge an employer when something is wrong, independent enough to represent its members without fear or favour, and sensible enough to work constructively with employers when cooperation can produce a better outcome.

That is the kind of trade unionism the Workers of England Union believes in.

And it is also why we have been asking difficult questions about facility time, taxpayer funding and political involvement.
Our examination of published public-sector facility-time figures has produced a striking figure: approximately £830 million in reported facility-time costs between 2017/18 and 2024/25. (Please read previous articles)

That is a substantial amount of public money and raises a legitimate question.

The Workers of England Union believes Trade Unions should principally be funded by their members, rather than having significant elements of their workplace activities supported through taxpayer-funded staff time.

This becomes particularly relevant when some Trade Unions also choose to spend substantial sums on political activity and donations. Trade Unions are legally permitted to make political donations, and reportable political donations are published. But should Trade Unions that are not directly meeting the cost of some of their workplace representatives, and are benefiting from what could be described as a backdoor subsidy through taxpayer-funded facility time, then be able to donate substantial sums to a political party?

We are not saying that facility-time money is simply handed to a political party. It is not. Our question is about priorities and indirect financial support.

If taxpayers are meeting significant facility-time costs while Trade Unions have resources available for political expenditure, is that the right arrangement?

Independent Representation

The Workers of England Union takes a different approach.

We believe a Trade Union's priority should be its members, their employment, their working conditions and their relationship with their employer.

We want to work with employees and businesses to create better workplaces. We will challenge poor employment practices, when necessary, but we also recognise that strong businesses, productive workers and constructive employment relationships benefit everyone.

That is what independent Trade Unionism should be about.

Key Takeaways

• Independent Workplace Representation: WEU emphasizes independent union reps who do not work under the same employer management structure.
• Constructive Employment Partnerships: Advocating for balanced, non-confrontational trade unionism that works constructively with productive businesses.
• Facility Time & Taxpayer Priorities: Questions the £830M spent on public-sector facility time while affiliated unions divert member funds to political donations.
• Member-Centric Trade Unionism: Insists that union priorities must focus entirely on member employment, workplace conditions, and fair representation.