Received from: Unison
Congress condemns the call from the NHS England chief executive for NHS trusts to outsource swathes of functions to SubCos (subsidiary companies) in order to make financial savings.
Congress asserts that the use of SubCos in the NHS – and trading companies in local government – has often been associated with downward pressure on staff terms and conditions.
Congress notes that savings through SubCos have only come through diluting pay and conditions or by avoiding tax – which just means there is less funding available for public services.
Congress further notes that this is why NHS England guidelines have until now actually restricted the use of SubCos, prompted by strong union campaigning.
Congress is alarmed that NHS England’s new push for SubCos runs directly contrary to Labour manifesto commitments on insourcing, but Congress believes that government ministers cannot hide behind this being an NHS England policy – these decisions are being taken on their watch.
Congress recognises the success that unions have had in fighting off SubCos in the past and welcomes the strong local and national response that unions have made to the resurrection of this divisive policy.
Congress therefore calls on the General Council to:
i. support unions in their national campaigning against subsidiary companies
ii. support local union organising campaigns to prevent the transfer of NHS staff to SubCos
iii. work with unions to develop and promote evidence of the negative impact SubCos have on the NHS
iv. campaign for the insourcing of staff who have already been transferred to these companies.
UNISON
AMENDMENT
In paragraph 2, sentence 1, after “downward pressure on staff terms and conditions” insert:
“, creating unfair two-tier workforces across public services and entrenching inequality in our country.”
Add new bullet after bullet iv.:
“v. call on the Labour government to deliver its insourcing and procurement manifesto commitments in full, including applying the scope of a reinstated and strengthened two-tier workforce code and public interest test to wholly owned subsidiaries.”
GMB