SIR – How right Shipley MP Philip Davies was to criticise Bradford City Council for using a ‘six figure’ sum of taxpayers’ money to pay staff to act as full-time union officials, while claiming services have to be cut due to lack of funds. Makes a change from free Christmas lunches for councillors and managers!

Not that Bradford MDC is alone in this, as enough other local authorities are guilty of similar behaviour to be a real concern for Secretary of State Eric Pickles MP.

But I fail to comprehend why such intensive union activities are needed in non-commercial organisations employing largely unskilled staff.

In the 1970s I served on the National Executive of my then print union, in a ‘closed shop’ environment representing highly skilled craftsmen, making high-value products, yet my employer – who although allowed time off, without pay, for union activities – contributed not one penny. My union footed the bill for everything.

These unions are not poor; despite claiming they hate the capitalist system, they ‘invest’ funds in equities and gloat over the capital gains repeatedly made – especially when those gains are tax free, as they are by special concession from HMRC!

D S Boyes, Upper Rodley Lane, Leeds