UNISON chief, Dave Prentis, will today (11 November) pledge to put the weight of the union behind the fight against the cuts and privatisation of the police and probation services. Speaking at the union’s annual Police and Justice Conference, Mr Prentis will warn the Government “not to put a cut-price tag on dealing with the misery of crime and the anguish of victims of crime.”
More than 150 delegates are gathering in Brighton from across England, Scotland and Wales, representing police and probation staff from all areas of work including police community support officers, custody and forensic officers, offender managers, unpaid work supervisors, station enquiry clerks, dispatchers, case administrators and victim liaison staff.
Many are angry at the devastating cuts to police budgets that have led to 32,000 job losses to police service numbers. The privatisation of the probation service is also high on the agenda with possible strike action on the cards.
Dave Prentis, will say:
“Mr Cameron can shuffle his cabinet anyway he likes, but the result is still the same – a bad deal for the public. The jokers in the police pack are the likes of Serco and G4S who are themselves under investigation for potential fraud. Staff at Serco accused of overcharging for transporting prisoners to court, while G4S found guilty of overcharging for electronic tagging.
“Keeping communities safe, caring for victims and finding the perpetrators of crime should not be a cut-price operation. Nor should it be sold off to private companies who are out to make a quick profit at the expense of taxpayers.
“That is why UNISON is calling for an independent inquiry into privatisation – the companies that provide public services, their employment practices, the quality of services they provide, as well as the profits they make at our expense.
“I know that police staff are committed to the jobs they do and are working long and hard to cover the gaps caused by redundancies across the service. And you witness daily the ludicrous situation of police officers being used to backfill for police staff posts – taking officers off the front-line – where is the sense in that?
“And where is the logic behind the privatisation of the probation service? The very same companies accused of sharp practices and profiteering will be first in line for a slice of the probation service.
“I tell you now that UNISON will continue to defend the probation service and our members who work tirelessly to protect communities, help victims of crime and assist offenders to turn their lives around.
“We want a progressive future for the probation service, rooted in local communities and democratically accountable. A service delivered by public servants dedicated to their work, not the profit motive.
“And if we have to move to an industrial action ballot in probation to defend our members interests, UNISON’s support is there when you need it – every step of the way.”
