For Your Reference:
COMPOSITE MOTION F (34&37)
PFI
Motion submitted by Dudley Group of Hospitals and
Newcastle City Health Branch
Conference condemns the New Labour government for continuing
with the Tory policy of using the Private Finance Initiative to develop NHS
services. PFI is back door privatisation.
UNISONs national strategy of a twin track approach has
its weakness in leaving branches isolated and fighting alone at different
times. There has been no effective national public campaign that highlights the
dangers of PFI in the NHS.
This Conference welcomes the report "The only game in
town?", a report on the Cumberland Infirmary Carlisle PFI commissioned by
UNISON Northern Region and the Carlisle health branches. It builds on the work
already carried out of the Drybum Hospital PFI and once again exposes PFI for
the fraudulent uneconomic scheme that it is. There is no economically viable
argument for PFI. UNISON must continue its campaign against the use of PFI as
the only way of building new hospitals.
Conference congratulates UCLH UNISON in achieving the best
deal so far on PFI. Staff who face transfer to the private sector, at least do
so with the guarantee of Whitley terms and conditions for the lifetime of the
contract. This deal was achieved by having to resort to strike action. This
settlement should be the benchmark for those branches still faced with staff
transfers. Conference welcomes the decision by the Government in June 1999 that
future PFI schemes no longer have to include staff transfers. This is
recognition of the fact that PFI is bad for staff but unfortunately does appear
to be somewhat of a red herring in that there are no automatic rights of
protection for staff. UNISON should ensure that this concession is available to
all branches facing PFI.
UNISON needs to build on these successes.
Therefore Conference resolves to:
· Reaffirm UNISON Health Group policy and
calls on the government to scrap PFI.
· Call on the government to take any PFI
scheme and the staff affected back under NHS control
Instruct the Health Group Executive to:
· Campaign for all staff to remain employees
of the NHS
· explore any means to allow those staff
transferred to the private sector in PFI deals the opportunity to come back
into the NHS.
- assist all branches facing PFI schemes so that they are able to take
advantage of the concession on non transfer of staff.
- support any democratically decided action within UNISON rules, including
strike action by branches in opposition to PFI.
- organise further national and regional meetings of activists from branches
affected by PFI. These meetings are to develop co-ordinated national and
regional strategies to step up the fight against PFI.
- Send a copy of the Carlisle report to all health branches
- Organise a lobby of Parliament to raise these issues with MPs.
- develop further campaigning materials which raise the public profile of
UNISON'S fight against PFI; in particular a national billboard campaign
alongside national press, radio and TV advertisements.
F.I AMENDMENT FROM HEALTH SERVICE GROUP EXECUTIVE
In the final bullet point, delete all after "UNISON'S fight against
PFI" and insert full stop.
F.2 AMENDMENT FROM SOUTHERN DERBYSHIRE HEALTH BRANCH
Insert at the end "Develop training courses for stewards and activists
on PFI"
F.3 AMENDMENT FROM LEICESTERSHIRE HEALTHCARE BRANCH
Add at the end: "Instruct the Healthcare Service Group
Executive to organise a national demonstration in London before the end of 2000
against privatisations and PFI. If possible this event should be organised
jointly with unions and organisations campaigning against privatisation in
other areas, such as the London Underground, but if this proves impossible
there are sufficient local and regional campaigns against PFI schemes and
privatisation in the NHS to build a massive demonstration on that issue alone.
Therefore the Service Group Executive must not delay the demonstration or
restrict its demands in order to secure collaboration from other groups or
unions."