Breaking News: Edinburgh dumps privatisation

Edinburgh Council voted this morning to dump the final two of three huge privatisation plans following a hugely successful union and community campaign. Environment Services stayed in house in November and Corporate services and Facilities contracts were voted down today as the SNP joined Labour and Greens to beat the Lib Dems (SNP coalition partners) and the Tories. Had these contracts gone out, about 4,000 jobs would have been affected - the biggest ever council privatisation in Scotland.

The "Our City's Not For Sale' campaign has been running for two years with UNISON activists and members, along with key full time officers, joining with community and service user groups across the city to bring the plans to public attention and put maximum pressure on politicians.

"It has been an object lesson in combining trade union and community action, lobbies, demonstrations with political lobbying and hard technical analysis and evidence-building.

"Thanks must go to everyone who worked so hard, for Labour for sticking with us, to the SNP for listening and most of all to full time officers, mainly Peter Hunter, for all the research and organisation. We remember too Newcastle's Kenny Bell for his advice and inspiration at the start of the campaign", said UNISON Branch President John Stevenson.

http://unisonedinburgh.blogspot.com/2012/01/edinburgh-council-dumps-privatisation.html