Sat 12 April 2003

UNISON steps up its election campaign

UNISON Scotland's public service union will be stepping up its Revitalise our Public Service campaign. The union, that has agreed an £80,000 budget for its campaign, will be putting adverts in Scottish Newspapers campaigning against private companies running public services.

The union will also be sending a magazine to all its 150,000 members calling on them to raise the issues of public services with both Scottish Parliament and council candidates.

Matt Smith, UNISON's Scottish Secretary said "Our Scottish Council will hear the next steps in our campaign. We are pleased with the support we have been getting from different groups for our positive proposals to revitalise public services. We also noted the results of the BBC poll earlier this month, which indicated that private running of schools and hospitals was the government's most unpopular policy. This fits in exactly with the kind of response we have been getting over the years, and we will be pointing this out to all candidates."

UNISON will also be raising the issue at the STUC's Annual Congress next week in Inverness. Matt Smith said "It is appropriate that Scotland's Trade Unionists are meeting to discuss their concerns before this important election. We will be raising the issue of public services, and I am convinced that this will be the primary concern of the STUC. It is because so many Scots value their public services that get the kind of poll results the BBC have obtained. Trade unionists are even more concerned to defend and revitalise public services."

The union's Scottish Council - made up of delegates from UNISON branches all across Scotland - meets today (Sat 12) at 10.30 am in the Moir Hall Glasgow. It is a closed meeting, but interviews with officers and delegates will be available.

ENDS

For Further Information Please Contact: Matt Smith, (Scottish Secretary) 07771 548 997(m) Chris Bartter (Communications Officer) 0845 355 0845(w) 0771 558 3729(m)

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