‘The government may have ground to a halt – but our union hasn’t ’

“The government may have ground to a halt – but our union hasn’t,” UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis told health delegates in Bournemouth today. In a rousing speech, Mr Prentis then applauded some of the union’s many recent successes in defence of its members, while outlining some of the challenges and aims that lay ahead. To begin, he paid tribute to the members and branches at the forefront of the battle against subsidiary companies in Leeds, Leicester, Mid Yorkshire, Tees, Esk and Wear, Rotherham, Wrightington, and Wigan and Leigh. “This time last year subcos were a looming threat that we feared would break us,” he said. “Yet in branch after branch, region after region, we took them on. “When will politicians and big business learn? Our members want to work for the NHS, not Rentokill, not Carillion. “They are proud to work for the NHS, not for an off shoot, not for a tax loophole, Not for a subco.” Mr Prentis praised other workers all over the country who have successfully fought to keep services in-house and to maintain TUPE, and those in private companies taking industrial action to secure NHS wages. And looking ahead he said: “I want to make it clear to the next Labour government that our union demands that all privatisations, all outsourcing of our NHS be ended immediately. No ‘ifs’ no ‘buts’, no weasel words. “And we demand more than that. On day one – all services and all our people brought back in-house, back where they belong...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: Article News 2019 Health Conference dave prentis general secretary heath care Source Type: news