Financially troubled outsourcing giant Interserve could be
‘Carillion Mark Two’ Unite, Britain and Ireland’s largest union,
warned today (Monday 10 December).
Unite, which has 1,200 members working across Interserve, called
on ministers to say what their contingency plans were in the
event that Interserve was unable to restructure its debt-laden
finances.
The union called into question the government’s ‘unhealthy
obsession’ with the outsourcing of public services which
was ‘a road to nowhere with the taxpayer picking up the
tab’.
Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail said: “The
financial difficulties that Interserve finds itself in is another
dire warning of the dangers of outsourcing public services for
private profit. We could be facing Carillion Mark Two.
“The mistakes made before the collapse of Carillon in January
2018 appear in danger of being repeated - if so, this could see
the hard pressed taxpayer picking up the tab - yet again.
“We want to know from ministers what contingency plans are in
place should Interserve be unable to restructure its debt-laden
finances.
“We would support a temporary ban on Interserve bidding for
public sector contracts, while it attempts to resolve its
financial problems.
“The moral is that public services should be provided by the
public sector, as the record of these outsourcing behemoths has
been woeful – it has been proven to be the road to nowhere.
“Unite has called for a public inquiry into the Carillion debacle
and today we would ask that such an inquiry should embrace the
events leading up to present situation at Interserve.
“Unite has 1,200 members working across Interserve. We will be
monitoring developments very closely and be giving our members
maximum support in the coming days.
“Another classic example of the government’s unhealthy obsession
with outsourcing is the fate of the Ministry of Defence (MoD)
firefighters, vital to the UK’s national security.
“In the summer, the MoD firefighters’ contact was awarded to
Capita, despite its own financial problems, but then this was
challenged by rival outsourcer Serco - and this has yet to be
resolved.
“You could not make this up when most reasonable people would
agree that such an important service as MoD firefighters should
be under government control.”
