We are living through unprecedented times of enormous public service funding and cuts job losses, with UNISON members at the sharp end.
What makes a difficult situation even worse are the actions of a government determined to hoodwink people into thinking that further privatisation of public services can somehow give us better quality services – without the cost.
UNISON has always argued that public services must stay public unless there is an evidenced ‘public interest case’ to prove otherwise. So we welcome the Our Services Our Say campaign which puts the case forward about the fundamental importance of public services to society and communities.
We hope that every public authority will sign up to its principles along with unions, civic groups and communities.
In a similar vein, UNISON has also produced new guidance for branches and regions to help them understand the process that must be gone through when services are put out to tender.
It’s to help UNISON branches at every stage of the new processes and ensure that members – as those providing public services – make their voices heard.
And make no mistake, the role of UNISON members is going to be crucial. Unless we act, public services will continue to be outsourced, public servants could lose their jobs, their terms and conditions could be altered, and whole communities will suffer as private companies take over.
UNISON’s alternative is simple:
- Public services should stay in-house;
- Better services – as dedicated members work to keep improving them;
- Public servants keep their jobs and existing terms and conditions;
- Local communities get a better service.
The branch guidance will be launched on the UNISON website in a new web page. Look out for the launch of UNISON’s new procurement guidance at the end of February.
