Over 140 activists and organising staff came together at the annual regional conference to promote Million Voices for Change – Defending Public Services.
Sessions were held on strengthening our ability to secure in-house provision for all public services as part of our response to the Government’s Transforming Community Services initiative, and looking to achieve ever greater cuts and efficiencies. The threat of the Personalisation agenda to be used to deliver cuts rather than personalised care was highlighted.
Responding to the economic crisis, and highlighting the key role of public services in not only delivery vital services at a time when they are vitally needed, but also the role of the public sector in helping to get us through and out of recession as drivers of the economy was debated. The myths in the Right Wing media shifting the blame for the crisis away from the Bankers to public sector workers must be a priority for us to challenge.
We believe UNISON’s Million Voices Campaign is just the message to do that promoting social justice, good jobs and decent public services. Already in the North East we have seen a great response from the public at the Miner’s Gala, and an NHS day with people signing up to the campaign. We agreed that we need to take it into every workplace and communities across the Region.
Delegates heard about the campaigns already being run to keep the Metro public. The Tyne and Wear Metro is the last remaining publicly owned train system in the UK. Our members are central to the campaign to secure the in-house bid and to keep the metro in public ownership.
Cleveland Police are running an anti-privatisation campaign to stop the control staff from being outsourced. The response from our members and the public is tremendous. These are only two examples of putting Million Voices into action. All parts of the Northern Region will be taking this forward in all workplaces and communities.
The timing is crucial in the run up to a General Election where there is a ‘fight’ for who will be the toughest on the public sector and public service workers we must get this right. Northern Region is committed to doing its best.
http://www.unison.org.uk/northern/
