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Implementation
Implementation
Resolution 9 (continued)
(2) This U-turn is a sham. Similar rhetoric was constant throughout the part-
privatisation of probation, with the Cabinet Office spending around £2.5
M promoting not-for-profit and mutual bids. The outcome saw the 3rd
Sector excluded apart from a few minor partners in for profit multi-national
consortia - Interserve and Sodexo winning over half of all probation contracts
between them.
(3) The DfE are actively encouraging big corporates to set-up “charitable not-
for-profit fronts”, who they control, direct and ‘sell’ their support services to,
justifying their corporate investment.
Privatisation fails to deliver what’s promised for users and taxpayers. Expected
savings are unrealistic and user interests become secondary to reducing
costs and maximising profits. Services become less accountable as local,
regional and national politicians shift the blame when things go wrong and
the companies blame poor contract design and management when they
get caught ripping off the public (e.g. Serco and G4S in prison and tagging
contracts). For these profiteers negotiating with Government is like playing
cards with a drunk.
(4) But most importantly, morally some things should just never be sold for a
profit. Support and help to our most vulnerable young people should never
be for sale
(5) The GFTU calls for:
a.
The new Children’s Minister demanding that all plans for the
marketization and privatisation of children’s services are stopped.
b.
All unions with an interest in children’s services to work together to
campaign in the public and parliament against this threat to ensure that
resources continue to be directed at providing good public services for
children and families on a “not for profit” basis.
(6) This biennial Conference is appalled the Government proposed wholesale
privatisation of Children’s Services. Decisions about vulnerable children,
including removing them from their families, are some of the most difficult
and sensitive that child protection professionals have to make.
(7) Conference believes establishing a market in child protection would create
perverse incentives for private companies to either take more children into
care or leave too many living within dangerous families.
(8) Napo is already witnessing the chaos, confusion and increased risks arising
from Government efforts to privatise a huge part of the Probation Service
despite the work/staff being awarded the gold standard for service provision.
The Government repeated the same argument about private companies
providing children’s services to “encourage innovation and improve
outcomes for children”.
(9) Whilst pre-election considerations and immediate campaigning by Napo and
others in the sector contributed to these plans being put on hold for now,
the GFTU and affiliates must be vigilant and ready if they re-emerge post an
election.
Resolution 10
Surveillance of Journalists
(1) This conference condemns police surveillance of journalists, trade unionists
and activists, noting the growing evidence of such unacceptable activity that
appears to have reached unprecedented levels.
(2) Conference notes the revelations that the Metropolitan Police used the
Regulation of Investigatory Powers legislation (RIPA) to secretly access a
journalist’s phone records, internal emails and other sensitive data as a means
of exposing sources and whistleblowers, without judicial oversight. Further
A special campaign meeting of Chooseyouth was
held in April 2016 and good national publicity was
achieved.
The GFTU immediately joined in with those
campaigning against the new proposals planned
by the government and existing restrictions and
behaviours.
Implementing 2015 Resolutions
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