Date: THURSDAY 17 JANUARY 2008

PFI COMPANIES ABUSING THEIR POSITION AND RIPPING OFF THE PUBLIC

UNISON, the UK's largest public sector union, is today calling on the Government to tackle the obscene profits being made by PFI companies at the public's expense.

Commenting on a damning report into PFI from the National Audit Office exposing overcharging and profiteering by PFI companies, Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, said: "Taxpayers are paying over the odds for PFI projects that are slow, inflexible and expensive. This latest National Audit Office report reveals how companies continue to rake in the cash by charging unjustifiably high fees for making changes to contracts. These companies are abusing their position by overcharging hospitals and schools for small changes and basic maintenance.

"It's time for the Government to face the fact that PFI is a fundamentally flawed system. Instead of attacking the wages of low paid public sector workers, the Government should tackle the obscene profits being made by these private companies at the public's expense."

For more information please contact Anne Mitchell on 0207 383 0717

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