After last week’s TUC conference the unions should reflect on how best to strengthen public services. Collaboration with other stakeholders is the key
Last week the Trades Union Congress met in Liverpool and considered the future of public services. It will inevitably have reaffirmed the trade union preference for public services to be owned, funded and managed within an accountable public sector. This is a principled position to adopt and one, which seems increasingly to resonate with the public.
I do, however, hope that the TUC and the trade unions will also consider some related progressive policy positions.
First and foremost, after many years of neo-liberal policies, there is an urgent need for the case for public services, tax based public funding and public accountability to be made much more loudly than hitherto. The consequences of the cuts programmes need to be explained and exposed too.
This is an opportunity for trade unions to demonstrate their wider political and civil society role and the contribution which public services make to economic, social and environmental well-being and to a civilised society. This case has to be made between now and May 2015 with increasing clarity and passion.
Trade unions could consider widening their policy stance on public services in a number of ways.
Given that the government and other politicians at national and local level seem determined to press on with outsourcing there is an urgent need for an evidenced enquiry or review of the impact of traditional outsourcing, the application of business sector management and the investment of private capital in public services. Outsourcing should be compared to other delivery models. The current debate on outsourcing and the government enthusiasm’s for it are ‘evidence-light’. This and any future government, as well as other decision makers across the public sector, should be basing their choice of service delivery models on evidence. I fear that many, indeed too many, are not. The public sector should also consider other delivery options including high quality ‘in-house’ public services, collaboration across the public sector and working with the social, voluntary and community sectors.
The TUC should and could argue for such a comprehensive review as it did recently in its joint report with Children England on the future of children’s services. The same approach needs to be applied to all public services.
In addition the TUC could reasonably and strongly argue that if and when services are outsourced to the business, social or voluntary and community sectors there must be full disclosure and transparency of operational and financial performance; of ownership and/or governance of the provider organisation; its remuneration and employment practices; and much more.
Likewise I would expect the TUC to be demanding that if and when public services are outsourced that all staff have a decent deal. This should include requirements for staff and their trade unions to be consulted on a published business case prior to tender – and ideally in earlier policy and operational discussions in order to be able to influence these; TUPE to be fully honoured; decent terms and conditions including the Living Wage, no ‘two tier’, no involuntary ‘zero hours’ contracts and entitlement to decent pensions to be compulsory; and trade union rights for staff to continue in all sectors. In some specific services areas there is every reason to require the public sector to have to meet and in turn require their providers to adopt measures such as the Ethical Standards Charter for social care. And the TUC should argue that all of these and related requirements should be statutorily mandatory for all public service contracts including a specific duty on the outsourcing public sector client.
I am aware that there is much interest and some action for such a set of policies within the trade union movement. It’s time to step this up.
No one should deny that in many public services there is a need to change and reform – not just in response to the financial constraint but also because of changing needs, expectations and technical advances. We have to end the unfortunate lazy and ideological conflation of reform with a greater role for the business sector. Reform can take many forms and what matters is improving outcomes, user experience, social value and value for money, and accountability.
Contrary to much popular tabloid journalism and the views of some politicians I find that most trade unions and their members at a national and local level recognise that change across the public sector and public services is inevitable and necessary.
When the objective of change is to improve outcomes for service users and communities and as long as staff are not going to be adversely disadvantaged there is every reason for progressive trade unions and employees to lead the charge for change. After all employees often know how to improve services and achieve better outcomes but all too often can find themselves prevented from doing so by management that will not listen and systems and processes that stifle innovation.
Public sector employers have to ready and willing to engage staff and their trade unions in planning and delivering change programmes.
Trade unions could consider how they could support their members considering setting up socially based and inspired mutuals and co-operatives. This support could take many forms including legal and commercial advice, finance and more. Public service co-ops and mutuals must be user and/or worker led not management imposed; and they must be based on a public service ethos – not be ‘trojan horses’ for the business sector.
In addition trade unions and their members have much to contribute to the development and implementation of service models based on co-design and co-production with service users and communities. Staff need to be empowered and offered training and support especially when they take prudent risks to improve outcomes.
As they consider the future of public services I would like to think that trade unions would consider the potential to collaborate with others on shared social and policy agendas.
The Children England – TUC report on the future of children’s services is a good example of collaboration between trade unions and the voluntary and community sector. Trade unions and many across wider civil society share common objectives and concerns on issues such as poverty, inequality and inclusion.
Public service employees have had to bear the brunt of the government’s policies of dramatic cuts to expenditure, wage freezes and redundancies. This situation has been disproportionate, intolerable and unfair. Ultimately it is not sustainable. The TUC has rightly challenged this. Now there is also an opportunity, I hope, to develop and advocate progressive policies of the kind outlined, so that unions can champion and partner service users and the wider community in pursuing social justice, excellent public services and positive outcomes.