a million voices for change... add yours!

by Chris Bartter

A million pound campaign has been launched at UNISON’s Annual Conference to promote the arguments for public services and the jobs our members do.

A Million Voices for Change aims to counter the misinformation and attacks on public services and public service workers put about by some politicians, some media and representatives of private sector business like the CBI, Institute of Directors and their ‘think tanks’ like the so-called ‘Taxpayers Alliance.’

In Scotland we want to play a full part and have started to look at how we need to adapt the campaign to be relevant here (see article below).

The main aims - common across the UK are social justice good jobs quality public services.

UNISON’s general secretary, Dave Prentis, said at the first meeting of the new National Executive, “Public service workers should not bear the brunt of bailing out the bankers, who now seem to be back to looking after themselves very well. We need to keep the agenda for strong regulation of the finance sector going.

“If any sector of our society will get us through this recession it is public services.”

“Public service workers are on the frontline of dealing with this recession - helping people in financial difficulties, guiding people back into work, creating new opportunities through education and training, dealing with increased rates of homelessness, family breakdown, and mental health problems.

“We want to make sure our members get the support and the resources they need to help people through hard times and lay the foundations of our economic recovery.”

The first phase of this campaign is to get members and activists to sign up for this campaign. You and your members should click on www.unison.org.uk/million and become one in a million!

Public Works: Scotland backs up a Million Voices

In Scotland, UNISON has been busy designing our part in the Million Voices campaign.

We are identifying campaign aims and objectives that ensure the separate position of Scotland and the different political situation here is taken into account in the UK campaign and renewing the ‘Revitalise’ campaign that has been running for some time.

Matt Smith, UNISON’s Scottish Secretary says, “It is clear that, while the basic aims of defending public services from the attacks of politicians and the private sector hold good across the UK, we need to be clear that the different political positions and timetable in Scotland needs to be addressed if a Million Voices are to resonate here.

“That is why we are starting our ‘Public Works:’ campaign. Promoting public services is the best way out of recession, and campaigning to ensure that the jobs and conditions of those delivering those services are fair and protected.”

‘Public Works’ will produce material along the lines of the Million Voices campaign to reflect different agendas in Scotland - for example addressing health inequalities here rather than concentrating as much on attacking the privatisation agenda which is clearly of more concern in England.

In addition, while the next UK General Election will be a key target both north and south of the border, in Scotland the campaign will need to continue beyond that date (whenever it is) to aim at the Scottish Election in 2011.

Again the immediate target of the campaign is to sign up members to the Million Voices, but we will also be lobbying get key messages into political party manifestos.

Specific campaigns addressing concerns impacting on members in the workplace will run under the Public Works: banner where appropriate. Some of these highlighted so far are:

• the key role of education support staffs;
• demand a more democratic structure for Scottish Water and resist privatisation calls;
• implement the social work manifesto,
• institute effective workplace level initiatives to deliver the climate change agenda;
• building a new housing strategy rooted in new accountable council housing
• expanding the role of police staffs.

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