Councils and health trusts in Essex paid almost £500,000 last year to staff carrying out union duties during working hours, a new report claims.

Nationally, the Taxpayers’ Alliance estimates the public purse paid staff doing union duties about £67.5million in the year ending March 2010, Union representatives are legally entitled to spend some working time on official union duties.

But Jennifer Dunn, the right-wing lobby group’s policy analyst, argued: “Unions should not be given special treatment. They should pay for their own representatives.”

Billericay and Basildon Tory MP John Baron backed the alliance’s call, explaining: “Union activities should be paid for by union dues. I think the public would question whether taxpayers’ money should be used for union business. “Taxpayers want their money spent on public services.”

However, unions and some councillors have criticised the report’s conclusion. Mark Cory, a Lib Dem Colchester councillor, said: “There can be efficiency savings in the public sector, but not at the expense of working conditions. I think some work time can be used to carry out duties, especially when it affects workers’ rights.”