Unite backs UK Uncut's banks' action to defend the NHS

27 May 2011

The UK's biggest union, Unite, is calling upon its members to back the action by UK Uncut tomorrow (Saturday) designed to highlight the danger to the NHS posed by the government's health bill and cuts programme.

The union, which represents hundreds of thousands of workers across both the finance and health sectors, says that when it comes to the NHS, private and public sector workers share a common cause - defending a service which offers support to all regardless of income.

UK Uncut's action will see banks turned into hospitals and other NHS services as members of the public show their love for the publicly-run health service and their anger that ordinary people continue to pay dearly for the errors of a banking world elite.

The action comes in the week when a further 1,500 bank workers paid the price for the 2009 bailout - which forced the country into deficit - with their jobs. Additionally, as the government forces the NHS to find £20 billion in 'efficiency' savings over the next four years, health jobs will go - 50,000 health professionals have lost their jobs this year alone and waiting lists are growing, with Unite predicting further cuts and instability to the service if the government forces through its health and social care bill.

Rachael Maskell, Unite's national officer for the health sector, welcomes UK Uncut's action: "The greed of a few and the failure to regulate brought our banking system and the economy to their knees but government expects the ordinary people of this country to pick up the tab.

"We must not allow the profit-first value to destroy our NHS.

"For over sixty years, this country has upheld the principles of quality, universal care where the patient's needs comes before private greed every time. We are now at the most worrying juncture in the NHS' history with the government is poised to let market values rip through the service. As Bevan said, the NHS will survive as long as there are people to fight for it. Now is the moment to fight."

David Fleming, Unite's national officer for the finance sector, added: "We only have to look at the dramatic job losses in the finance sector since 2009 to be reminded what happens when profit is put first. Tens of thousands of jobs have gone - this week another 1,500 were confirmed as joining the dole queue.

"This country deregulated its banks and since doing so profits have rocketed but who has benefited? Certainly not the communities, workers or businesses of Britain.

"The culture of uncertainty and unthinking cuts are not what we want for the NHS, the one thing that can be relied upon in this country to support you whatever your means.

"Tomorrow's action is an opportunity to send a clear message; people are angry that the economic crisis has brought undue suffering to working people while those that caused it remain untouched. It must not take down our NHS too."

Details of UK Uncut's Transform the Banks, Save the NHS actions can be found at http://www.ukuncut.org.uk/

Unite has been fighting for the government to scrap its Health and Social Care bill, currently before parliament, which will put competition at the heart of the NHS. The union has also been fighting for a better deal for the UK's finance workers, many of whom earn little above the minimum wage and yet are being sacked by the state-aided banks as they seek to return to profitability.

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