| UNISON City of Edinburgh Branch |
|
|
17 November 2001 UNISON calls for real modernisation and partnership to make services Positively Public UNISON is calling on Scotland's First Minister elect to abandon 'outdated' privatisation and PFI schemes and to look at imaginative ways to modernise public services by giving them the public investment they need. UNISON will make the call at an Edinburgh Trade Union Council Rally for Public Services in the Assembly Rooms George Street Edinburgh at 2pm on Saturday 17 November. John Stevenson, the union's Edinburgh Branch Secretary and chair of its Scottish Campaigns Committee said, "We want modern public services. Grown-up public services. Public services that are so modern, there might be enough homes and foster parents to go round to protect and help children in trouble. "Public services that are so modern that when you build a new hospital you get more beds, not less. "Public services that are so modern that they
do not go back to the private, profit driven services that collapsed
and had to be brought into public control by our forebears."
Mr Stevenson slammed PFI as "bleeding funds from
other services to pay for private profit."
"You pay for it, I pay for it - and because it is tied up in 30 year contracts, our children pay for it and their children pay for it", he warned. UNISON was offering a partnership to the government.
"We should rightly praise the achievements of our Scottish Parliament
and give credit where it is due", said Mr Stevenson.
"But part of any partnership must be mutual respect. And that means listening to your friends and being big enough to recognise that the people who actually deliver the services have valid points to make. "Only then will be be able to deliver services that are accountable, efficient, delivered by a valued and properly paid team and truly Positively Public". ENDS Further Information
|
|
