David Prentis is a British trade unionist who is the current General Secretary of UNISON, the United Kingdom's largest trade union. He was originally elected in 2000. He was re-elected in March 2005, with 77% of the vote, in 2010, and in 2015.
He joined NALGO in 1975, and in 1990 he became its deputy general secretary. He was UNISON's deputy general secretary from its formation in July 1993, when it was formed from NALGO, NUPE and CoHSE.
UNISON leadership
In his role as the deputy general secretary, Prentis directed UNISON's national negotiating team and oversaw the union's policy making functions. He also drove through a strategic review of the union, aimed at delivering key reforms, to bring union services closer to the members. In 2001, he succeeded Rodney Bickerstaffe as General Secretary of UNISON, having been elected in February 2000. Prentis is responsible for 1,500 staff and a turnover of around £160 million. As General Secretary, he received a total salary and benefits package worth £112,114 in the accounting year ending 31 December 2013. He is a member of the TUC General Council, TUC executive committee and the Trade Union Labour Party Liaison Committee. He was elected President of the TUC for the year 2008. He is a member of the Labour Party's economy commission and the Labour Party joint policy committee. In July 2020, he announced his decision to step down at the end of the year.
since, 1 June 2012, non-executive director of the Bank of England. The initial appointment is until 31 May 2015. For the accounting year 2013/14 non-executive directors of the Bank of England received total remuneration of £165,458.
Personal life
In 2000, he was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus and stomach. He had much of his stomach removed, underwent chemotherapy, and then contracted MRSA in hospital. Since his recovery from cancer he has been unable to eat large meals.
''Daily Mail'' apology
The Mail on Sunday was obliged to print an apology to Dave Prentis on 7 August 2011 after incorrectly reporting the previous week that Prentis had received a 31% increase in pension contributions from UNISON. In fact as a member of the UNISON staff pension scheme he was funding the pension increase himself through a 'salary sacrifice' scheme. Other media reported that "many up and down the country use this same technique to minimise their bill" by avoiding marginal tax rate of 60% on salary above £100,000 The Daily Mail had been correct in its original statement that Prentis' "total earnings package has risen to £143,887 – up from £142,312 last year". The figure of £143,887 shown in UNISON's financial statements for 2010 was the total cost to the union of employing Prentis for that year - therefore including both the Employers NI costs and the Employers contributions to UNISON's staff pension fund - both contributions to Prentis' pension pots. The £32,818 was an increase of £7899 over the figure of £24,919 made the previous year. However, his basic salary had been cut from £92,688 the previous year to £86,892. Overall his "total salary and benefits" went down by £5,511 but his employer's contributions to his pension funds went up by £7,086 accounting for the 1.1% overall increase in employment costs. Prentis claimed, and the Daily Mail agreed after his complaint, that his increased pension benefits were "self-funded". This means that they came out of his salary in a "salary sacrifice" scheme, not that he funded them from other income or assets. Salary sacrifice payments to registered pension funds are tax free to the employee and NIC free to the employer. Thus without loss of benefits to Prentis, UNISON saved £24,954 the following year in its total cost of employing him: instead of paying £32,818 in staff pension contributions into his pension fund which would have been taxed at 60%, Prentis "sacrificed" £9,275 of his salary which was paid, without deductions, into his pension fund. This kept the taxable part of his salary below £100,000, thus avoiding the 60% marginal tax rate. All three sets of UNISON annual accounts referred to here note that "Pension costs are prior to employee salary sacrifice, which started on 1 April 2010". This being the case, it is less than transparently clear why some, at least, of the tax benefits to UNISON of the salary sacrifice scheme in regard to Prentis do not appear on the 2010 accounts.
