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Public Service campaign begins to bite
 91%
of Scots say private sector should not provide public services
UNISON's Positively Public Campaign has taken a firm stance
against what General Secretary Dave Prentis has called "The
new government's romance with the private sector”.
In the media and at meetings with the Prime Minister and the
Labour Party, Dave has lost no opportunity to make clear UNISON's
view opposing the increasing involvement of the private sector
in delivering our public service.
Immediately after the General Election result UNISON released
the results of a poll showing that 78% of people in the UK felt
that the private sector should not provide public services.
UNISON has recognised the need to reform public services, but
has gone on record to attack the government's ‘clouded' judgement
about what gives the best value for money.
In an ironic twist, shortly after Dave Prentis criticised PFI
for leading to less beds and increased costs in our hospitals,
news broke that the new PFI hospital in Durham was short of
beds.
In Scotland too, the PFI-built Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride
has had a number of serious problems, including sewage leaks
and departments that are too small for their purpose.
This led Jim Devine, Scottish Organiser (Health), to call for
Lanarkshire Acute Trust to ‘open the books' and tell the public
the impact of PFI on patients. Bill Speirs, (General Secretary
STUC) too, has raised the issue in the media and taken a strong
pro-public service line.
Following Dave Prentis' correspondence with Tony Blair, Scottish
Secretary, Matt Smith has written to the First Minister and
to the Secretary of State for Scotland, highlighting UNISON's
campaign and emphasising that it applied at least equally in
Scotland.
"In Scotland,” Matt says, "The percentage of people who think
that public services should be provided by the public sector
rises to 91%.
"I have pointed this out to Scottish Ministers and the Scottish
Government and demanded that they reflect that viewpoint when
they are renewing Scotland's public services.”
The campaign still needs to be pursued by all branches facing
PFI/PPP and similar projects, and new postcards are available
from the Communications unit for branches to use. It is now
going to be a major debate at the Labour Party and TUC conferences
- raised again by UNISON.
Dave Prentis puts it succinctly, "It is a simple challenge”,
he said. "We asked that they put public services on the agenda,
listen to the evidence and have a full and frank debate about
the best way to deliver quality public services. "This has been
done, and we should now be intensifying our Positively Public
campaign”.
Glasgow brings them back in house
In a series of moves that maybe emphasise different priorities
in Scotland, private contractors have been shown the door
in a number of Glasgow Health Trusts.
Following on the decision in principle by the South Glasgow
Trust to end outsourcing and bring domestic and portering
services back in house, (after a very successful campaign
fought by the UNISON Branch, see SiU 29) the Greater Glasgow
Primary Care Trust has now also agreed to end three private
sector contracts.
At the end of September, over 130 domestic and portering
staff at Gartnavel Royal and portering at Leverndale Hospital
will rejoin the NHS team. Improve services Joe Lynch,
UNISON Regional Officer was delighted.
"UNISON has been campaigning publicly to promote public
services delivered by properly trained in-house staff.”
He said, "This shows that managers are increasingly convinced
of the potential to improve services contained in bringing
staff back in-house.”
To complete the Glasgow hat-trick, the third major trust
in Glasgow - Glasgow North - has also agreed to give contractor
Medirest six months notice that they plan to bring domestic
staff at Stobhill Hospital in-house.
Ballot brings benefit
And there's more - Medirest staff - 87% of whom voted
to take industrial action - have won themselves immediate
benefits including:
- Sick pay for the first time
- Overtime and weekend/holiday payments l A pension
scheme
- Harmonised minimum pay - meaning an increase to £4.26
per hour.
Caroline Leckie, North Glasgow Hospitals Branch Secretary
said, "This represents a significant achievement for industrial
muscle, courage in the face of adversity, and trade union
organisation.”
Perhaps the move back to in-house employment does show
a different attitude prevailing in Scotland's public services
- especially where people have seen the inefficiencies
and unfairness of private contracting at first hand.
"These examples must be used to publicise what we should
be aiming for”, says Matt Smith, Scottish Secretary .
"Not only are we warning the Government that private finance
spells trouble - we are also arguing to bring back to
the public service team workers who have been hived off
in previous privatisations.”
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