Footballers’ union chief Gordon Taylor’s salary topped £1m again last year, according to official figures.
The annual report of the Certification Officer – which details the salary and benefits of trade union general secretaries – showed the chief executive of the Professional Footballers Association was paid £1,027,034 over the reporting period, down slightly from the previous year. Taylor also received £20,328 in benefits.
His salary package dwarfs that of his counterparts in rugby and cricket, indicating the volume of money that has flooded into the national game. The heads of the rugby and cricket players’ associations received £60,703 and £35,362 respectively.
Information from trade union annual returns showed that 3% of unions paid a salary to their general secretary of more than £100,000 27% paid between £60,001 and £100,000 19% paid between £30,001 and £60,000 and 13% paid up to £30,000. The general secretaries of the remaining 35% did not receive a salary. Employers’ pension contributions made up a significant proportion of the benefits paid.
The heads of the main unions in England and Wales received generous six-figure pay packets at a time when many of them are railing against low pay among their members.
Amicus chief Derek Simpson was paid £93,089 plus a whopping £62,375 in benefits. His super-union counterpart Tony Woodley of the T&G section of Unite received £81,936 plus £11,471 in benefits.
GMB general secretary Paul Kenny’s package totalled £111,000. Unison chief Dave Prentis – currently spearheading a strike campaign against below-inflation pay in local government – earned £89,502 plus £34,993 in benefits.
Other general secretary salary packages included:
Brian Caton, Prison Officers’ Association: £122,449
Brendan Barber, TUC: £109,830
Mark Serwotka, Public and Commercial Services Union: £107,132
Bob Crow, RMT: £99,634
The salaries in the report are those received during the 2007-08 reporting period. A large proportion of these returns are for the year ending 31 December 2006.
