tendering for all the major services presently run by local authorities compulsory by 1989.
to recruit remains, as does the lack of SOCIALIST OUTLOOK nad January/Falinary 108B losses Truin the decline of manutacturing local government are now mp ofits listo! Whether or not the deal has the public. or even tacit support of the CME leadership — or whether it is simply a one fadventure by une of the regional -barons' who are known for their anto- nomv in the GMB — the intense pressure leadership trom the top of the umon si 1? What he didn't spell out, and what as publicly and there have been conflicting support for this kind of deal goes. But the union has suffered heavy membership industry — and the health sorvice and service which they are jointly trving Io rently emploved livia private contractor) involved has publicly sued chat ass in his woom, the council would be opposed to a return to direct labour on the contract for political risons (it s2s formerly organised by NUPE) the NIB had moss in gain by going along with the deal, which, he alded, would probably involve the union taking scats on the probably of mess central interest to the OMBina tais, is the new members that The GMB nationally have not made their Positini on this particular deal clear signals alma how far up the hierarche "insider bidding and remain opposed in union management buy-outs of publi management bid — in competition with the service in Milton Keynes: There, the coumals former chief executive has sel himself up in the cleaning business. signed a single union deal with the GMB Jorally, and put together a bid for the to secept The reginal GMB offerl people: = but with mone of the disadvantages" of an bonally have condemned the deal as DrO lana — for the relise collection the success of the tender would deliver persuade the workforce (who are cur in-house service. NUPF locally and tu serious is a joint umon the fight against privatisation seven target recryning arcas principle to management remaining with their board in the long tụn: More scrvices. carries some of the benefits of having the appearance that the service would be force he sell them the idea — which for the council itself is attractive insolar as it tisation — in some cases lor them fo the process is instructive. In West- minster, for example. where a maber of services have already been subjecre to competitive tendering, and some pri- vatised, dure senior managers — all NUPE members — are drawing up a management bid for a very lucrativs The trio, who were all involved in drawing up the specification for the contract, are allowed work time by the muncil in which to go round the work- prer privatisation the central (and still publicly espoused) principle fouright opposition to prive- carry workers with them, who, in the absence of a mire positive leade don'i The recent esperience of competitive councils which are more advanred" in in the unions? wholly at the expense offhe people win produce and use those services And of much higher for the trade unions: more terms of die unions" basc), as well as their recruiting around — the services With a"strategy" that says simply twin mounting pressures to recruit and retain und in some cases willingness - lo fight privatisation electively is Under those circumstances it's all too solutions in the privatisation prblem which seck to douge hut effectively ditch sérvices have been saved, it has been cinerse once services are run under these lara that i was taperitive pressure that Local services — private or public — get worsc, leaving Tittle scope for mounting And of course the sakes are now members, anil more core members (in conditions for any length of time the case tne the unions posseek 'creative lod in their decline will be obscured. brad based campaigns in their deience. (£13 million) miuse collection contract. themseives — are under threat, the serve, at any cost? sor any other wav our. members, confidence tendering in triad action was to be led locally, if at all, NIls; ol damage limitation. The idea employers, cur your losses and maximise vour recruitment where possible. Indus- and usually just sanctioned (increasingly big disputes at Addenbrookes and Bark- ing) nationally. Tr 80 per cent of NTIS vehicie to deliver you from privarsation. was to tighten up the service standards. sane ever-depressing downward cycle of lested, and to a large extent failed, in the facing yer another round of ratecapping ive acchuntancy is no longer possible and whils councils of all colours arc vices, let alone relying on that as a The union approach is essentially the same strategy as that which was tried, reluctantly after fingers cor burnt in the collapsing in financial crisis with redur jobs — whether the contract has gone But in local government, the instruc- con' to render will have the force of bow, sympathcuc employers to keep services with direct Jabour. Tendering terms are strictly commercial, and workers will very quickly become locked inti the -and services themselves — in order to compete with Nina time when local councils arr dancies let us well as right and centre — the possibility of improving local ser submit a competitive in-house bid, dis that instituted for the NHS in 1983, when the DHSS instructed health authorities to ering services against open competition. Since then nearly 2,000 such exercises have been completed, with around 20 per cent lost to the private sector. Wages and conditions lor workers in these ser- vices have been cur drastically — and right across the board. The situation is tractors, hut in nearly every case where services have been put lu tender. workers have had to trade their hours, bonuses and other benefits to keep their closing many of the loopholes used by measurably worse under the private con- - when the comfortable fudge of creat *test' iheir laundry, cleaning and cat the: competitors. Jobby private or staved in house: cuts in wages, conditions the private sector. 16
-ahn Surrock/Netwo January 1986, striking French railworkers demonstrate in Paris — today, left-wing presidential condidate Pierre Juquin is basing his campaign on the themes raised in such struggles N
growing crisis in the West German Greens. DAVE PACKER opens with some general New