UNISON has launched a campaign against 'reckless' council plans to
sell-off services and over 1,000 jobs. UNISON’s campaign material makes a mockery of the councils Love
Northumberland – Caring for our Community logo stating it cares very
much for Northumberland and it’s council services.
The "Northumberland is Not For Sale" campaign will work with
other unions, community groups and the public to expose the dangers of the
council's 'alternative business models'.
"Services like front line customer contact, revenue and benefits,
catering, cleaning, cleansing and
vehicle and grounds maintenance, along with HR are all up for grabs with
cultural services, transport and legal services also being primed for
outsourcing through multi-million pound 'strategic partnerships' -
privatisation, to you and me", said Joyce Guthrie, UNISON Joint Branch
Secretary.
"UNISON's own studies have revealed that, at best, council claims
about savings are wishful thinking. No credible evidence exists to support
them. Worse still, the evidence that does exist points to failures, worse
services, increased costs and huge bills to bring failed services back
in-house.
To go ahead with this, in an exercise likely to cost hundreds of
thousands of pounds wasted on consultants, without learning the lessons of the
last attempt at the tendering fiasco when the Unitary authority was established
was nothing short of reckless.
If services are delivered in-house with no need to make a profit, how
can they be delivered more cheaply while making a profit on top? Something has
to give and that is usually the quality of the service or indeed the whole
service - along with any decency in the pay and conditions of those delivering
the service", added Joint Branch Secretary, Joyce Guthrie.
"You still pay your taxes but instead of the money going on the
service and those who deliver it, it goes to company profits. Like the banks,
these companies will become 'too big to fail' and will have the council over a
barrel. It is time for the council to abandon these plans and concentrate on
efficient and quality services in-house".
UNISON’s other Joint Branch Secretary Ian Fleming said, "The union
has stressed that it is always ready to fully engage with the council on better
and more efficient ways of delivering quality services. "However, management
seem to have dismissed the idea to seriously looking at in-house options and
making no real attempt to look at improving services, just a headlong drive to
privatise".
"Staff are demoralised at how they are being treated with their
jobs and now to say they are potentially going to be privatised leaves even
more uncertainty”
“It seems to UNISON that the council are moving at a rapid speed in
order to implement their plans prior to the County Council elections in 2013”
