Privatisation rejected in Scotland’s capital

Edinburgh council’s decision to keep vital city services in house, instead of privatising them has been welcomed by the public services union UNISON.

Proposals by the ruling Liberal Democrat and Conservative coalition to award a contract for integrated facilities management to private bidder Mitie were rejected in a full council vote on a joint Labour-SNP amendment, with Green Party backing.

The council has recently abandoned plans to privatise corporate and transactional services and last November plans to privatise environmental services were abandoned.

Peter Hunter, UNISON regional organiser for Edinburgh, said: “This is the death of Scotland’s largest council privatisation proposal ever — which begs the question whether the door is permanently closed on future privatisation plans across the public sector as a whole?”

www.unison.org.uk/news/news_view.asp?did=7538