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The National ChairmanMay 2005 NO TO MARKET TESTING, NO TO CONTESTABILITY
They have sunk as low as to use a computer site belonging to the employer to make these attacks. Whilst every individual in this union has a right to their opinion, personal attacks and personal vilification of those elected to lead the union is not the way to stop Market Testing. The NEC in deciding to postpone the Special Delegates Conference from the 18th April to 23rd May 2005 realised that this decision would not sit comfortably with everyone. We expected there to be a reaction to our decision, what cannot be accepted is that decision is used as a vehicle for a minority group, some of whom have shown no or little interest in stopping Market Testing to date, to attack the leadership of this union. The NEC is determined to stop Market Testing. The NEC is determined to stop the Privatisation of the three prisons on the Isle of Sheppey. Contestability will not be defeated on the prison service intranet. It will be defeated by a union prepared to work together, to campaign together and if necessary strike together. The ultimate sanction that any professional working person can use is the withdrawal of their labour. Prison staff have thousands of vulnerable people in their charge. The decision to leave those people without care and control is not one that this union should take lightly. Before we use that sanction we must have exhausted every negotiable and legal avenue open to us. That decision should only be made through the ballot box not on the prison service intranet. Market Testing is an attack on our pensions and employment rights. NOMS will argue that the introduction of the two-tier workforce has removed much of the threat to our terms and conditions. This is not true. The threat to our pensions is just as great under the two-tier work force as it was previously. There are those who will tell us that it is inevitable that Market Testing will happen. They will tell us there is no alternative to Market Testing. There is an alternative, that alternative is correctly financed and run public sector prisons. This union has proved in recent times that given the right management and the right resources we can match anything produced in the private sector. In the league table of the top 21 prisons in England and Wales, there are only two private sector prisons. Of the five high performing prisons, only one is from the private sector that is despite the fact that all private sector prisons are the most modern in the Country. The lie that is pedalled by those who say that contestability will improve standards put a spin on the facts. The postponement of the planned Special Delegates’ Conference was a decision taken to allow further discussion and to give the opportunity to evaluate legal advice outside of the heat generated by a Special Delegates’ Conference. The fact that this decision was not resoundingly welcomed actually gives strength to our resolve, that we can clearly indicate the level of resentment to contestability, to those we have to negotiate with to bring an end to Market Testing. The NEC with the support of the membership is resolute in its determination to stop Market Testing. Those that wish to criticise the decisions made by the leadership of the union for personal gain would be better putting their energy into supporting our members on the Isle of Sheppey in preventing Market Testing. Motion 3 of the Special Delegates Conference, now scheduled for 23rd May 2005, reads: “Conference reaffirms its policies to take such action, as is necessary to prevent the privatisation of Public Sector Prisons and authorises a ballot for whatever action is necessary up to and including strike action throughout the United Kingdom”. We would ask every branch to support this motion and the debate on this motion should be the opportunity for those who wish to articulate their opposition to come to the rostrum. We would hope that this is the opportunity for the majority to come forward to show their support in the correct forum for this union. We need your support to STOP the Privatisation of HMP Elmley, HMP Standford Hill and HMP Swaleside.
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