UNISON carried its warnings about a proposed £1.5bn police privatisation plan directly to delegates at a high profile private bidders’ conference in central London today.
Members lobbied chief constables and private company reps who came to discuss the plan, launched by West Midlands and Surrey forces, which ould mean a private takeover of all staff services and include private patrolling of local neighbourhoods.
If the plan gets the green light, the rest of England and Wales’s forces are poised to do a deal worth £3.5bn. UNISON highlighted the dangers of the move and its impact on dedicated workers.
West Midlands Police branch secretary Jill Harrison said staff are alarmed by “panic measures” that could disrupt good working relations and the delivery of high quality police services, causing “untold damage”.
Anna Berry, regional organiser for the South East, which includes Surrey, said members had massive concerns about safety and accountability and they were also worried about their future.
“Members have already experienced a
lot of redundancy,” she said.