Stop the privatisation of public services

Scrap the Private Finance Initiative

Introduced by the Tories to privatise the public sector by the back door, hospitals, schools and local services are being built by the private sector and 'rented' back to the public at a very high cost. Why? To make handsome profits for New Labours' big business friends. Under the PFI schemes assetts are stripped and workers pay and conditions is undermined. PFI in the Southern Region includes 3 schools in Southampton and a day services centre and school in Portsmouth. Around the country hundreds of projects are going ahead but the opposition to the is growing too. A national confernece has been called by UNISON branches including Southampton District Branch on Saturday 25th March. There will be sessions on: using a referendum, the right to have a say, fighting privatisation and the anti-trade union laws, back-door privatisation or workers' control.

• Venue NATFHE headquarters Britannia Street, Kings Cross, London WC1. £10 per delegate. Ring 0208 854 8888 ext 5227 or write to Greenwich UNISON, Room 110, Macbean Centre, London, SE18 6LW.

Socialists in UNISON - Campaign for a fighting Democratic UNISON

UNISON NEC Elections - Campaign starts for NEC elections, Roger Bannister, Jean Thorpe, Glen Kelly, Raph Parkinson, Andy Belfield ( all Socialist Party members ), Fiona Monkman and Mike Tucker ( Southampton Distrct, Banch Sec) are on the slate.

CFDU main demands are• Election of all union officials on a workers' wage.•No UNISON money for MPs or councillors who attack members' jobs and conditions• Repeal the anti-trade union laws; defy them where neccessary•Full support for UNISON members, resources to backup branch activities•Oppose all privatisation including PFI and Best ValueNo UNISON member to receive less than £5 an hour.

CFDU national conference,"After the Gen Sec election, where next for socialists in the union?"

Sunday 26th March, 10am-4pm, University Lundon Union, Malet St, London.

•info/join CFDU Glen Kelly37 Linale House, Murray Grove, London, N1 7QH

Trade Unions and New Labour

Increasingly New Labours' policies are at odds with the interest of trade union members. The restrictions of the minimum wage have institutionalised low pay rather than eradicating it; union rights at work remain extremely limited and above all their economic policies have completely failed to defend jobs, particularly in industry, the fiasco at Rover/BMW just the latest example. In the Public Sector the cuts of the Tory years continue with deteriorating services and worsening conditions of pay and service especially through the introduction of Best Value and the Single Status agreement. Rank and file activists are increasingly opposed to the unions given financial support and electoral backing to a party that opposes their members interests. Socialist Party members are arguing for the need to a New Mass Workers Party which can begin to build a socialist alternative to New Labour. The only conclusion to draw from this is that unions should disaffiliate from New Labour as part of this process. In UNISON we have argued for the freeing up of the ploiical fund to support candidates in elections that more closely reflect the interests of UNISON members. For more on this issue go to