Public disagree with privatisation of public services

Nine out of 10 members of the public disagree with the private
sector running public services, according to a poll published by
UNISON today, writes Maria Ahmed from
Glasgow.

The YouGov poll, released at the start of UNISON’s annual
national conference in Glasgow, shows that 89 per cent of the
public agreed that “public services should be run by the government
or local authorities, rather than by private companies”.

A second question in the poll also revealed that more than 87
per cent of the public do not want public services, such as NHS
hospitals and schools, being run by private companies for
profit.

Dave Prentis, general secretary of UNISON, said: “The government
should be listening to the public, not to big business. The
government got back in with a much reduced majority so they cannot
afford to ignore public opinion and suffer the backlash.”

He added: “The public don’t want private companies making money
out of the sick and elderly, or out of our children’s education.
Dressing up privatisation as choice will not wash with the public
either.”

UNISON’s local government service group executive has also put
forward a motion to UNISON’s conference raising “extreme concern”
over the threat of privatisation to many probation services through
the creation of the National Offender Management Service
(NOMS).

The group said privatisation would “worsen provision to clients
and drive down the terms and conditions of probation staff”.

The group called existing privatised probation hostels “a
shambolic failure,” with “poorer services for higher costs”.