David Cameron ‘mangles English language’ as he proposes
co-operatives for public services
15 February 2010
David Cameron is using the language of socialism to mask the
break-up of public services Unite, the country’s largest
union, said today (Monday, 15 February).
Proposals by the Tory leader for public sector workers to have
the opportunity to form co-operatives to run services were
described as ‘a return to the ad-hoc, unfettered world of
laissez-faire’.
Staff of taxpayer-funded services, such as primary school teachers
and nurses, would decide how they were run - within certain
national standards.
Gail Cartmail, Unite Assistant General Secretary for the Public
Sector said: ‘David Cameron is using the language of socialism to
mask a break-up of public services. He is mangling the English
language to advance his anti-state ideology.’
‘He said that certain national standards will have to apply for
education and health – however, national standards already apply
for public services, so why break-them up to only recreate them? It
does not make sense.’
‘These plans will erode the joined-up working that exists
between health, social work and educational professionals – the
best example of such co-ordinated working today is the Sure Start
centres, which the Tories say they wish to retain. Such tinkering
is not in the public’s interest.’
‘This will also mean that national agreements for pay,
employment conditions and pensions will have to be disbanded for
teachers, health staff and local authority workers. David Cameron
has not spelt out what the effects will be on those dedicated
employees working in the public sector.’
‘Following the collapse of the banking system globally, Unite
said things would have to change and it shouldn't be business as
usual - the last thing we could have predicted was that the
Conservatives would start preaching the benefits of
cooperatives.’
-ends-
NOTES TO NEWS EDITORS:
For further information, please ring:
Gail Cartmail 07768 931 305; Shaun Noble, Communications Officer
020 7420 8951 or 07768 693 940
Unite Health Sector web page: www.unitetheunion.org/health
Unite/CPHVA press releases can be seen on the CPHVA website:
www.unitetheunion.org/cphva
Unite is the largest union in the UK. Its health sector
has seven professional sections: the Community Practitioners’
and Health Visitors’ Association, the Mental Health Nurses
Association, the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists, the Society of
Sexual Health Advisers, the Medical Practitioners’ Union, College
of Healthcare Chaplains, and the Hospital Physicists
Association.
Email to a friend
Want to share this story? These sites allow you to tag and share links across the internet enabling you to share these links with friends and people with similar interests. You can also access your links from any computer you happen to be using.
