The leader of the biggest public sector union and one of Labour’s biggest affiliates has warned Gordon Brown that patience is running out amongst his members.
Speaking at UNISON’s annual health conference in Harrogate, General Secretary, Dave Prentis, delivered a stark message on behalf of his 1.3 million members.
He said:
“Our time and patience is running out.
“The country is in a mess and we look to the Government to come up with serious solutions, not to waste time in childish venom.
“But at the moment, the Government is losing us.
“It is losing the support and trust of health and public service workers in their droves.
“The rich bankers and greedy speculators who got us into the mess are rewarded with huge bail-outs.
“And now the fundamental flaws in PFI school and hospital building projects have come home to roost and they have had to be bailed out.
“Why? Because big business will only take the profit, but won’t shoulder the risk.
“While ordinary workers, expecting to put in a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay, are rewarded with threats of job cuts, low or no pay and privatisation.
“Carats for the rich, the stick for the poor.
“UNISON members, loyal, dedicated, hard-working, delivering the people’s public services, won’t put up with it.
“The Government has a last chance in Wednesday’s budget to show it understands why it was elected.
“It must use the power it has left to deliver a package that genuinely shifts the scales away from the rich, away from the tax evaders, away from the market moguls who it has
worshipped for so long.
“It must draw a line under recent scandals and petty point-scoring and show a united, determined effort to work to the people’s agenda.
“That means help for the jobless, supporting the economy and
strengthening public services that people rely on.”
UNISON has long argued that privatisation, PFI and market solutions were not in the best interests of the public services, nor did they represent value for money.
Big business has made huge profits out of PFI schemes over the years and, now, when times get tough, they just walk away.
Dave Prentis spoke at the UNISON