UNISON, the UK’s leading public sector trade union, today (27 July) announced a £1 million funding boost for its million voices campaign. The campaign, the biggest launched by the union for a decade, will run throughout the summer and beyond. The campaign promotes public services that protect, enrich and change lives for the better – services that will protect people and help them through the worst ravages of the recession. It calls for changes that put people before profit and public interest before private greed.
The £1 million has been provided by the union’s general political fund and includes an innovative film, a digital and advertising campaign, as well supporting local and regional initiatives.
UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, said:
“Public services are the heart and soul of our communities. They mean everything, not just to me, but to people in all our local communities. We want to see changes that put people before profit and private greed. We are launching the million voices campaign now, because of the recession and the threat it poses to public services. Our 1.3 million members are passionate about the public sector. If any part of the economy will get us through these tough times, it is public services and public service workers.
“As people struggle more, the more support they need from public service workers, whether it’s housing, debt advice or health problems, they are there to pick up the pieces. They know that the services they deliver can help communities and families cope with the worst effects of the recession.
“At the end of this recession, we want to see a fairer society and the Million Voices campaign is aimed at building just that.
“I believe this is money well spent. We need all our members to get involved with this grassroots campaign by taking it into their communities and workplaces. It is our biggest campaign for a decade, mirroring the scale of the challenge we face in protecting jobs and local services. A world without a nurse, care worker, social worker or paramedic, or any of the other public service workers who make our lives better, would be unthinkable.”