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Fighting Privatisation

Workshop Introduction

Resisting privatisation

And beating the fat cats from within…….

A discussion on privatisation setting out a rough guide to privatisation and it’s effects, how to resist and fight on after you’ve been privatised, and PROSPER !

Based on the experiences of a tube track worker and RMT activist working for Metronet; the private consortium maintaining two thirds of London Undergrounds infrastructure,

Privatisation (PPP, PFI’s etc…)

Experience informs us that privatisation is the opposite of everything that business and the government view purport it to be. In fact the private sector is inefficient, with a lack of expertise in public service provision, being a more expensive way to invest due to the existence of shareholders ~ who expect their dividends, usually meaning so called “business tycoons” cutting services or reducing their quality, lobbying, suing or begging the government (that is tax payers) for more money. In relation to their own ex-publicly employed staff, the privateers carry out a determined class war, which is dressed up and disguised using such terms as:

all of which are likely to involve or lead to erosion of:

The more you win at the beginning, the less you lose at the end!

Front Load the Fight from when it is first discovered that the government are considering privatising your industry. However, the stronger the fight you put up against privatisation before it comes in, the better off you’ll be if and when you’re actually privatised.

Uniting with other rank & file activists, use your unions democratic structures relentlessly to raise the need for the union to help build a campaign and support your fight against the planned privatisation with their vast array of resources; researchers, industrial & legal experts, printing, press officers, sponsored M.P.s etc.
(all paid for by the members!).

MAXIMUM Publicity should be aimed for in workplaces, and toward the public via national, local and left media (newspapers, radio, T.V.) and the trade union movement. All the aspects of privatisation: erosion of service, health & safety, exorbitant cost to service users/tax payers etc., as well as impact on the employees should be put forward in a firm and clear manner.

MAXIMUM Solidarity must be built by holding workplace meetings open to all workers, regardless of employment status or union membership, and producing leaflets appealing to other workers and other union’s members, the general public, service users and your workplaces agency workers, contractors and temp’s. Everyone possible!

A Fighting Program is needed that’s progressive, flexible, and controlled by the rank & file members, continuously renewing and adding to the actions listed above. Every means available to stop the planned privatisation needs to be used; from appealing to employment and health & safety legislation; to mandating shop stewards to negotiate with management and using direct action. Decision making needs to be focused on the membership, as ultimately wins are NOT made through negotiation but through industrial strength and that means “people taking action”, or it’s credible threat!

Victory within Defeat….. Victory depends on much more than your ability to resist privatisation, and the reality is you will probably not prevent it despite your best efforts.

Even though the stiff resistance to the infrastructure privatisation of LUL ultimately failed, many binding concessions had to be accepted by the privatised companies, who unlike state backed LUL, are very aware of the financial cost of upsetting their militant workforce.

Identify the weaknesses within the PFI contracts and exploit them to the maximum.

If the privateers get a penalty for failing to provide one service, then that area by realising their industrial strength can then use this to maximise the gains for all members across the company.

Since privatisation in 2003, Infrastructure workers employed by Metronet have successfully fought off every attack from the company, and have outstripped London Underground’s publicly employed staff - in every pay rise!

Resistance is Fertile !