Next week, millions of public sector workers will go on strike over proposed changes to
their pensions. And yet, even after the reforms, those pensions will still be far more generous than most taxpayers working in the private sector — who will pick up the bill — can
expect. It’s going to be hard to convince people of the ‘fairness’ of paying more into public sector pensions than they do into their own.
The unions will do their best though. And the real irony is in how their campaigns are funded. Guess who is paying for unions to organise strikes that will disrupt the public services that taxpayers pay for? Yep — taxpayers.
The unions enjoy £32.9 million in funding under programmes like the Union Learning Fund, which they use to provide training courses for their members. But the main subsidy is facility time: staff working for the unions but with their salary and other costs still paid as if they worked in the public services.
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