|
What Comp
C was really about.... First major 'Positively Public' event at
Durham Gala in July
Conference backed a
detailed 14 point strategy on Public Services, based on the fundamental
principle that public authorities must have the lead role in directly
providing public services.
A major demonstration
in conjunction with the Durham Miners Gala in July to back UNISON's
'Positively Public' campaign is a key element of a co-ordinated
plan which also includes targeted lobbies of Parliament.
And General Secretary
Dave Prentis warned the government, "You need the people we represent
if you are to deliver your pledges. Don't throw away this opportunity.
The electorate and our members will never forgive you”.
Investment
There must be more
investment, public authorities must be allowed to borrow to invest
and PFI must go.
Lessons have to be
learned from the 'disastrous mistake' of privatising the railways
by bringing them back into public ownership.
"We will seek talks
with the Government to push our agenda - high quality public services,
delivered by well-trained, directly employed staff, who put the
needs of service users and community first”, said Dave.
The Government's commitment
to more investment was welcome if overdue but their "love affair
with the private sector is depressing”.
"It is simply not
true that the private sector is more efficient and effective.
It is our members who bear the scars of privatisation”, added
Dave.
"PPP, the Public Private
Partnership, is a Passport to Poverty Pay”.
The strategy also
sets out a six point action plan and practical work programme
within the union to co-ordinate planning at national, regional
and branch level as well as developing a new media strategy.
Social Need
Part of this will
be City of Edinburgh Branch's call for UNISON to seek partners
to set up a Commission on Social Need. The partners would include
other unions, campaigning organisations and academics to evidence
what resources are necessary to deal with social need. It would
also demonstrate what investment was needed and that there is
an alternative to the current problems.
Branches will be backed
in taking legal industrial action against privatisation and a
bank of updated legal advice will be developed.
And Dave said we would
have public backing.
A UNISON Mori poll
has shown that:
- 78% of people agree
that pubic services should be run by public bodies, not private
companies.
- only one in 20 felt
that schools should be run by the private sector.
The new Labour Government
had no mandate for further privatisation. "It is not the will
of the people. It is not the desire of the people. It is not the
need of the people”, said Dave.
Among the other main
points, the motion called for more money for pay to end the recruitment
and retention crisis and to achieve equal pay. It also demands
rules which would ensure contractors cannot pay less favourable
conditions or pensions.
Higher Education's
Bett Report must be implemented in full and public transport must
be developed as well as protecting the environment.
The motion also called
for real efforts to be put in to challenge institutional racism.
We're Still
Waiting!
Nigel Pimm, East Ayrshire,
spoke in favour of Motion 67, calling on the NEC to work with
the National Disabled Members' Committee, the APF and the GPF
to urge the government to produce a timetabled manifesto commitment
for full repeal and replacement of the Disability Discrimination
Act.
Nigel said "Let's be
clear at the outset. UNISON policy is repeal of the Disability
Discrimination Act.”
"The Labour Party
promised us it would come up with comprehensive and enforcible
civil rights for disabled people and we're still waiting. We are
the only section of society still without full civil rights.”
|
