More than one-third of trade union leaders in Britain are earning six-figure salaries, with some compensation packages reaching hundreds of thousands of pounds, according to figures released by the Certification Officer (CO).
Data for the 2025/26 financial year shows that 45 out of 117 unions that filed returns reported paying their top officials more than £100,000. One in six of these leaders received packages valued at £170,000 or more, equivalent to the Prime Minister's salary. One individual's pay and benefits totaled £725,000.
This revelation comes as over 1.2 million working days have been lost to strikes since the Labour party came to power in 2024, with further industrial action threatened. Critics have labeled these union leaders 'champagne socialists,' arguing their high earnings are incongruous with their role in advocating for workers, especially as union membership declines.
Among those earning substantial salaries is the head of the British Medical Association (BMA), Tom Dolphin, whose entitlement was £103,612. A BMA spokesperson noted that Dolphin only draws the salary from the union that he would otherwise earn as a consultant anaesthetist.
Other high earners include Eddie Dempsey, the leader of the RMT union, whose package comprised a £96,838 salary and £30,501 in benefits. Daniel Kebede, head of the National Education Union, received a £136,902 salary and £11,598 in benefits, with his earnings understood to have since increased. Both the RMT and the National Education Union have threatened further strikes.
The highest reported compensation went to Maheta Molango, the chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, who received a £649,000 salary and £76,000 in benefits. Stephen Cotton, head of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), earned a £235,000 salary plus £44,000 in benefits.
Union leaders whose total packages exceeded the Prime Minister's salary of £166,786 last year include the heads of the National Association of Head Teachers (£182,422 salary and £39,120 benefits) and the Royal College of Midwives (£149,413 salary and £38,997 benefits).
Gary Smith of the GMB union received a total of £152,000, and Paul Nowak of the Trades Union Congress earned £138,993.
Representatives for the ITF and RMT unions stated that their leaders' compensation packages were democratically approved by their members. Several unions, including Britain's second-largest, Unite, did not submit their returns, suggesting the actual number of high-earning officials may be higher than reported.