Speaking up for public services

The SoR and other unions converged on Westminster yesterday to tell the government to stop selling public services short and to put people before profit.

In a rally and lobby of Parliament, organised by the TUC, workers told ministers they should recognise that public service systems are complex and cannot be improved through quick fixes.

"What we are seeing is an endless cycle of new initiatives and reorganisation, and constant change without test or evaluation,” said Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC.

“The government is not building support to deliver the improvements we want to see. Our message is that it needs to turn away from its preoccupation with privatisation and work with those that know the service best."

Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, echoed this sentiment. "We are here to tell MPs loud and clear that we will not allow public services to be destroyed by private markets."

He said the government's record investment of the past 10 years had achieved nothing. "We now have no alternative but to fight against a government that many of us fought tirelessly to get elected," he said. "Labour's success has been eclipsed by failure because of its obsession with markets."

Mr Prentis described a market system in which hospitals advertise for patients instead of concentrating on best practice. "Enough is enough," he said. "We will take action to defend our jobs and services unless this policy is stopped in its tracks."

Lesley Mercer from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP), said that morale within the NHS was plummeting. "We are seeing cutting edge services and training budgets slashed," she said. "But these short term cuts are having long term consequences."

Lesley concluded by making reference to NHS Together – the alliance of all healthcare unions which is campaigning for a better health service – and rallied support for its national day of action on Saturday 3 March.

Download information about the national day of action

5/02/2007