Public sector unions: Paul Novak and Matthew Sinclair

7 September 2012 Last updated at 08:30 ET Help

The TUC have claimed that the economy gains from taxpayers funding public sector workers to carry out union duties.

But Matthew Sinclair of the TaxPayers' Alliance said the "unions should pay for their own activists" as he called on the government to end the funded roles in the civil service in a debate with Paul Novak, head of operations and services at the TUC.

The government announced a consultation last November, as the Cabinet office claimed the roles cost taxpayers around £36m a year.

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