Global companies already have a foot hold in UK public services, winning contracts and PFI schemes that pay out millions of pounds of tax payers money to companies such as SERCO, Capita, Sodexo, Compass and Aramark.
The trade union movement still has no fully worked out response to work being taken out of the UK so arguably no template exists for UNISON to follow. We are used to employers moving call centres, cleaning contracts and manufacturing out of the UK economy and the only response has been protest that leads to the 'British jobs for British workers' position.
As central government looks to slash spending and sees these companies as their allies in this, we have to be more sophisticated in our response, working with European partner unions, with US and world wide unions. Not the usual swapping of delegations (though that is important) but meetings of workers and activists at a grass roots level with strategies agreed with sister unions all around the world. These companies need to know that trade union rights abuses in one state will affect their relationship in others. This means that we do not restrain ourselves to a private ticking off session but a public campaigning position. It will cut both ways.
UNISON has in the last few weeks stood with Colombian trade unions against Sodexo over its tender for the Catering contract for the Olympics. This should be the start. If a local authority outsources work to a company which in turn threatens to take it outside the UK - then we will need to fight that with other trade unions. This is coming. Call centres outside the UK are a common feature in the private sector. International Solidarity will worry these companies:
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/content/view/full/94803
