Unison members vote to oppose care trusts

Unison members resolved to campaign against the formation of
care trusts at the union’s local government conference,
writes Katie Leason.

They voted in favour of a motion stating that there is no need
to pursue care trust status in order for social services staff to
develop closer working with health colleagues.

They resolved to promote the alternative mechanisms of closer
working that do not require members to transfer out of local
authority employment, and for Unison to organise a co-ordinated
national campaign against care trusts that includes support for
appropriate industrial action.

Earlier Owen Davies, Unison’s national officer for social
services, said that ministers’ enthusiasm for care trusts
presented a blow to workers’ morale. Describing them as a
“mechanism” to place social services under NHS control, he
congratulated branches for campaigning effectively and called on
members to continue to campaign against care trusts.

Unison members also voted unanimously in favour of a motion
concerning the crisis in social care, urging ministers to make sure
that funding for social services is increased at a rate that
ensures services can be protected and improved, staff can be paid
decent wages, and social services can make decisions about service
provision free from the financial pressures which drive them
towards contracting out.