Delegates at UNISON's Health Group conference in Brighton delivered a sharp rebuff to their national leaders when they heavily voted down a compromise deal which would have kept most, but not all, non-clinical support staff in NHS employment, but handed others over to PFi contractors. The deal had been offered more or less as an ultimatum to UNISON negotiators, by ministers keen to defuse this potentially explosive point of conflict over the 45 major PFI schemes still in the pipeline. After the bruising experience of the long-running Dudley Hospitals strikes on precisely this issue, ministers were keen to seek a tactical retreat that kept the essence of PFI intact, while placating their private sector friends by insisting that non-clinical services in PFI hospitals would still be managed (for profit) by contract companies.
UNISON and ministers claimed that the deal would have ensured that 85% of the support staff in five key "trades" - cleaning, catering, laundry, portering and security - remained in NHS employment, with their pension and other terms and condiTions intact But the deal made no reference to other groups of non-clinical support staff who may well be included in the plans of a PFI consortium, notably admin and clerical staff (involved with IT projects, telephonists, recepwere specifically excluded from protection. of whom would be privatised.
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BSE HIV have been achieved. the five named trades, this could mean large numbers Also excluded were any staff regarded by the contractors as 'management'; they would have to choose between demotion or a compulsory transfer to the private company, and works and maintenance staff, all The private companies would not only pick and choose the staff to be transferred, but would also take over the implementation of the Trust's grievance and disciplinary procedures. They would fix staffing levels - and have the right to employ staff on their own terms and conditions to fill for granted. gaps in the workiorce. The deal was presented by UNISON as the best that could possibly be obtained, and its defenders argued that in the three "pilot" schemes where it is being proposed first up to 93% of UNISON members would be protected or (in the case of Havering Hospitals) brought back into NHS employment: but there was a widespread feeling among delegates that the union should not sign up to endorse the privatisation of up to 15% of support staff, and that with government on the run, more could The very different approach of Welsh Health Minister and other support staff as "care workers", and thus exclude them from transfer to private contractors, shows that other ways may be found to tackle the problem, short of the ideal answer - scrapping PFI and privatisation altogether.
After the vote disgruntled officials, worried about having to confront Labour ministers, hinted that they would press ahead regardless: but it seems that the clear-cut decision, coupled with opposition to the agreement from UNISON's bitter rivals the GMB, will torce a rethink What is clear is that ministers have failed to draw the. sting of the battle over PFI - and that UNISON's health service members are not prepared to be taken UNISON members working in non-Pay Review Body