The following email seeking information on time off for trade union activities appears to have been sent from the Sunday Telegraph to FoI contacts across English councils. "Now, why would they be doing that?", we ask. Perhaps councils will answer that there is no right to paid time off for 'activities' only 'duties' as per the ACAS code. But how would the Sunday Telegraph know that?
Subject: FoI - union reps
Dear Sir / Madam,
Could you please provide the number of union representatives employed by the council who, for all or part of their week, work on trade union activities, rather than council duties.
Could you also provide the total cost of their salaries, as well as a breakdown of the unions concerned and a "banding" for the salary of each representative.
Yours sincerely,
Jasper Copping
Sunday Telegraph
