Stop interpreting in legal services being privatised, says Unite
18 October 2011
Unite, the largest union in the country, is backing a campaign
to stop the interpreting and translation services in the legal,
police and probation arenas being privatised.
Unite, which embraces the National Union of Professional
Interpreters and Translators (NUPIT), is launching the Speak Up,
Speak Out campaign in Room 8 at the House of Commons on Thursday 20
October between 12pm-2pm.
Unite is concerned that the Ministry of Justice has signed an
agreement with the agency, Applied Language Solutions (ALS), which
will soon be supplying interpreters for courts and tribunals. The
police and probation services are expected to follow.
Unite regional officer Andrew Murray said: ”We fear that this is
the classic cocktail of privatisation – an inferior service for
vulnerable people seeking legal redress who don’t have the
necessary skills in English; and a lessening of the terms and
conditions for the interpreting workforce.
”We are concerned that when this agency takes over, some people
will be given a second-class service because this agency will not
be able to provide enough interpreters of the required level of
linguistic skill and competence.
”We feel it is wrong to introduce the profit motive into our
justice system. Economies made by cutting interpreters’ pay will be
used to finance the running of a commercial company and will not,
therefore, bring the savings that justice secretary, Ken Clarke, is
seeking.“
Unite wants the justice ministry to reverse this privatisation
policy and is calling for the interpreters and translators to lobby
their MPs. There are about 2,300 interpreters who will be affected
by these changes.
ENDS
Notes to news desks:
Journalists are warmly invited to attend this launch which will
take place in Room 8 at the House of Commons on Thursday 20 October
between 12pm-2pm.
For further information please contact Andrew Murray on 07768
931 290 and/or Unite communications officer Shaun Noble on 07768
693940
