THE UNISON national leadership has given the go-ahead for the five
branches covering NHS Logistics (NHSL) to organise an industrial action
ballot of its 700 members. The ballot is likely to be held over the next
few weeks, for action to oppose the privatisation/outsourcing of NHSL to
DHL/Novation.
Brian Loader, UNISON national staff side secretary,
personal capacity
The five NHSL UNISON branch secretaries will be meeting health
minister Andy Burnham on 25 July. They will be showing their members’
anger at New Labour’s drive to dismantle the NHS to private profiteers.
UNISON have been denied access to all the relevant financial
information and forecasts in the health department’s (DOH) full business
case. So the DOH have been able to present one-sided statements in
favour of their preferred bidder DHL.
An example is a recent announcement that DHL will operate a sale and
lease-back arrangement for the depots and assets, with the proceeds
being pocketed by the DOH. This has created considerable unease because
none of this was disclosed at the joint presentation made by the DOH and
DHL in March.
Members suspect that sometime during the 10-year contract the depot(s)
will close, despite the DOH claiming otherwise. They are also
questioning the promises made by the DOH and DHL, that workforce terms
and conditions will be protected, with any changes requiring
consultation/negotiations with UNISON and staff.
Once the result of the ballot is known, the branches will seek to
co-ordinate a day’s strike action across all the depots, followed by
further rolling action. UNISON south-east health committee has already
pledged £5,000 to the strike fund.
Karen Jennings, UNISON head of health recently met around 90 members
over two days. She said that branches like the five NHSL branches are in
the vanguard of opposition to New Labour’s marketisation and
privatisation plans. She pledged support and action from UNISON’s
national leadership.
