The UK Government is looking to outsource Veterans Services without public consultation taking place. Notice of tenders were issued in April 2018 which considerably expand the services that will form part of the Future Service Delivery Contract (FSDC). This contract provides provision of Armed Forces Pay, Pensions and Military HR and Administration Services and will be expanded to include: • Administration of the War Pensions Scheme and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (including payment and financial accounting with interfaces to other Ministry of Defence and other government department financial systems); • MoD Medal Office – the administration and issue of medals and awards; • Provision of Veterans Enabling and Supporting Services; and • Maintenance and development of existing Information System (IS) and enquiry services in support of the above services. We are concerned about the impact outsourcing these services will have on the quality of service provision that veterans currently receive. We are also concerned that the MoD is reserving the right to include/add any other work related to delivery of Military Human Resources or Veterans Services during the lifetime of the contract. The contract is worth up to £800 million and an estimated 400 jobs are being put at risk.

To avoid homelessness and crime,illegal activity and to survive while applying for asylum.Avoiding under national minimum wage payment,illegal working.Unscrupulas employers.

On Thursday 28th June 2018, Herefordshire Council’s Cabinet will meet to discuss the possibility of starting a tendering process to privatise these vital services, based on the “Soft Market Test” report, published in January 2018 and the recommendations of the Scrutiny Committee, which met on 9th April. At a time when there is much evidence to suggest that other local authorities are having to take these services back in-house due to the failure of private companies to run them effectively, we need to control and safeguard the future cultural service provision for our community, particularly for our children, young people, and isolated, vulnerable groups, such as elderly and disabled people. UNISON believes that the public deserve the best possible service when it comes to Museums, Libraries and Archives and our policy is always to keep services in-house. The Council say they need to do this to save money. However, the total budget spend for all 3 services last year represents a spend of less than £8 per head of population. Official figures for the library service already show a below average spend in comparison to similar authorities so it’s difficult to see a reason for taking these services out of local council ownership, when the figures show that it is already a very cost-effective service. UNISON is committed to working with Herefordshire Council to find a solution to its budgetary pressures without undermining our loved arts and library provision. Ealing, along with Croydon, Harrow and Hounslow recently had to take back their library services due to the collapse of Carillion. Staff at privatised library services in Bromley, run by Greenwich Leisure Ltd, have been on strike. UNISON believes Museum, Library and Archives staff deserve to be recognised for the trained, professional job they do, and the threat of future closures, reductions in hours and the loss of friendly, knowledgeable staff is unacceptable, These things are at risk if they are transferred over to a private company or charitable trust. Finally, UNISON has part funded work with We Own It. They are running a pledge for councillors and council candidates in elections to commit to ending all privatisation in local council services. The detail can be found here: https://weownit.org.uk/local-pledge Thank you, Herefordshire Local Government UNISON

This another important service to Coventry people that is stealthy been made private. This service is vital to local people but also needs to be kept public and not fall into the hands of private companies such as Virgin or Care UK. In a city of over 300,000 people the GP Out of Hours Service at the Stoney Stanton Walk-in-Centre is essential to help stop our local A&E departments being overwhelmed. Please take the time to sign this important petition which we plan to hand into the CRCCG by the end of May. Many thanks from all at Coventry Keep Our NHS Public (COVKONP) campaign group.

Moseley Friends' Institute was gifted to the people of Birmingham by the Cadbury family so that it could be used for the benefit of local people. It has for many years been managed by Birmingham City Council, who are currently considering the future of the building. Although it is currently in need of renovation and repair, it could be an important resource for the community.

HEALTH & SAFETY was the main reason for the birth of the trade union movement. There is no doubt with the current government attack on trade unions and a possible all out onslaught when we arrive at ‘post Brexit’ Britain, Trade Unions will no doubt find the coming years increasingly difficult. For this reason alone TRADE UNIONS must immediately prioritise H&S now and strengthen links with other unions. Every individual worker has the right to a safe & healthy working environment. Workers are better protected with a strong & robust union that adopt a prime focus on Health & Safety at work.

This would be privatisation by the back door. The company would be outside the NHS publicly owned and provided structure. It would own all the assets, land and buildings transferred to it. This would not be an acceptable disposal of public assets. At some stage in the future, it will be at risk of an aggressive buyout which will remove all once publicly owned assets building and land transferred with it, into profiteers hands, forever. It would remove the rights of the workforce to NHS terms and conditions after the statutory TUPE date and in any case, in the event of a downturn in revenue or other ‘financial crisis’ scenario and to new employees. It would create a 2 tier workforce as new employees will have less security, terms and conditions, holiday rights, sick pay and no access to NHS pension. This is likely to impact negatively on patient experience if the new workforce is more transient, without the public sector ethos. It’s a VAT scam? Certainly, it’s worrying that many of the SubCo plans seem to emphasise this VAT “gambit”. Gloucestershire, for example, told staff it would save £35m over 10 years through this ruse, whilst the staff savings were merely “unquantifiable”. And the Department of Health has advised against it. But the biggest similar scheme to date, UnitingCare in Cambridgeshire, collapsed spectacularly – and one of the major reasons (according to both NHS England and the National Audit Office reports) was because the NHS signed the contract on the basis of incorrect advice about their VAT position, meaning an unexpected £5m a year was added to the costs and the arrangement collapsed. There has been no consultation to date with members of the public and patients. Privatising cleaning services lead to development of MRSA a study shows. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/314890.php By the time this new move is shown to be a disaster it will be too late. A Special Purpose Vehicle could prove to be a false economy. We are not opposed to change for the better, but we view the input from management consultants and attempts to privatise NHS services and estates, with suspicion. Please explore other options. New research shows use of Management Consultants increase inefficiency. http://www.bmj.com/content/360/bmj.k893. https://www.opendemocracy.net/ournhs/jonathan-allsop/time-to-halt-nhs-gravy-train-for-management-consultants http://www.bmj.com/content/360/bmj.k893

If you have any interest in athletics at all, or just in the development of sport in general - please take time to read. The facts are amazing. This is the most successful athletics programme in the country. It has won five National awards, three governing body awards, it has a 100% attendance to the summer programme and the most successful indoor athletics league in the country. This programme has enabled thousands of young people, no matter what their ability, to participate and compete in an atmosphere of excitement, challenge, fun and fulfilment, alongside 100s of volunteers many of whom were former competitors and GCSE or A level students, who gained valuable leadership skills and qualifications. Several internationals began their career in these programmes. Many many other, high level county and club athletes also started their careers in these programmes. Leader, Howard Court, took up his role after his England athletics role 13 years ago. His wife, Clova Court, is a former Great Britain International Heptathlete. She has supported him and his team in doing an amazing job in developing athletics in the Sandwell Area. There are many other current and past international athletes who are great role models and have contributed or still contribute to the development of sport in Sandwell. PLEASE SAVE THE SANDWELL SPORTS DEVELOPMENT TEAM.

The Bull's Head is set in magnificent Marches countryside: it is "one of the last unspoiled drovers' inns in England" (CAMRA). For 125 years it was run by the same farming family. After 1998, under energetic new management, it became one of the most popular pubs in Herefordshire. Now, with owners who appear not to care, it has been closed for three years with no hint of reopening or sale as a pub. The pub is officially designated "an asset of community value". It is certainly that: our small and vulnerable rural community dearly wants it back. But it's something more - it's a boon to visitors; a resting place for weary walkers and one of rural England's hidden treasures. It must not die. "When you have lost your inns, drown your empty selves, for you will have lost the last of England" - Hilaire Belloc

The Citizens Advice Bureau provides vital benefits advice and support to ill, disabled and vulnerable people in and around Boston and Skegness. Lincolnshire County Council have decided to cut funding for this valuable service. There is no other organisation that provides the same service. Please sign and share.

Carillion was managing support services at the British Museum when they announced bankruptcy on 15 January. Five years ago PCS members campaigned against outsourcing when directly employed staff were privatised and transferred to Carillion. Many have worked at the museum for over 20 years. Now they are being paid by the receivers and face an uncertain future. Under insolvency rules staff have no protection of their terms and conditions if they are transferred to another company. The Museum Director Hartwig Fischer has not even met with staff. This threat is not limited to British Museum: • The Imperial War Museum privatised its gallery services back in 2014. The private contractor Shield went bust in 2016 and was bought up by yet another private firm Noonan leaving staff unsure of the future of their pensions. • The National Gallery privatised 400 workers back in 2015 despite a long-running campaign opposing it, made from striking employees, other culture unions and a number of art campaigners and lovers. Private company Securitas has refused to honour promises and has been less than cooperative with workers represented by PCS. Meanwhile the National Gallery itself has de-recognised the union arguing that most of its members were now working for Securitas. • Some of Tate’s visitor services were provided by privateer Wilson James who used Zero Hours contracts and paid their employees far less than Tate. PCS members won union recognition and parity of pay after their EqualiTate campaign. But in 2017 the contract was passed on to Securitas who immediately de-recognised the PCS union.

The pollution and noise from a rotating stock of 12 busses would dramatically reduce the quality of life of people that live and work around Old Haymarket, an oasis in the centre of Liverpool. The car park currently averages over £100,000 a year in takings and we as a city blighted by Government cuts cannot afford that. Two mature trees would be removed. LCC claims that more new trees will be planted but they have a proven track record of not fulfilling similar promises. Old Haymarket/Manchester St used to be derelict and dangerous - it is now a thriving community because residents and businesses moved there. This oasis in the city will be destroyed. Eight businesses, including a hotel, and hundreds of residents will now be expected to share a loading space for two vehicles. People will lose their jobs and property prices will be affected. The car park is part of the curtilage of a Grade II listed building, the fantastic Queensway Tunnel entrance. Not appropriate for vehicles weighing up to 80,000 kilograms (176,370 lb) to be driving around and polluting and certainly not in keeping with the surroundings of the structure or that of the UNESCO World Heritage Site it sits in.