GFTU BGCM Report 2017

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.

Implementation

A special campaign meeting of Chooseyouth was held in April 2016 and good national publicity was achieved.

Implementation

Resolution 10 Surveillance of Journalists

The GFTU immediately joined in with those campaigning against the new proposals planned by the government and existing restrictions and behaviours.

(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

Implementing 2015 Resolutions | Page 16