‘I would support a Day of Action to defend the NHS. That’s what I’ll be recommending to my executive,’ GMB National Officer for Health, Sharon Holder told News Line yesterday.
She was speaking in the wake of a meeting on Tuesday evening at the TUC of twelve unions – whose members include doctors, nurses and midwives – who have joined together to campaign against further ‘reforms’ to the NHS.
Holder added: ‘We met to discuss what we believe is an attempt to privatise and break up the NHS.
‘You know the government has re-issued the advertisement in the European Journal, they’ve jigged the words but it is still advertising for private companies to take over the work of the NHS.
‘This isn’t the thin end of the wedge, this is the wholesale break-up of the NHS.’
GMB Public Service National Secretary Brian Strutton added: ‘All the trade unions, including non-TUC affiliated unions, should use every avenue, legal and industrial to defend the NHS to the limit.’
A TUC spokesman told News Line that ‘the TUC is calling for an urgent meeting with Patricia Hewitt to raise the concerns of the health unions’.
He said that the meeting ‘being sought urgently’ with the health secretary ‘is a first step’ in the campaign.
A British Medical Association (BMA) spokeswoman confirmed the BMA was at Tuesday’s meeting at the TUC and that a joint campaign had been launched.
A UNISON spokeswoman said: ‘What the meeting decided was a total lack of confidence in the government’s handling of the whole process of privatisation.
‘UNISON conference last month voted for a halt to private sector involvement in the NHS.’
Amicus trade union Assistant General Secretary, Gail Cartmail said yesterday: ‘Number 10 appears to have its foot on the pedal for the sake of political dogma. The NHS needs a period of stability.’
An RCN spokesman told News Line: ‘The Royal College of Nursing did meet with the other unions and we have called for a meeting with government.
‘We will be looking at ways of working together.’
An ASLEF train drivers union spokesman told News Line: ‘We weren’t at Tuesday’s meeting but we are part of the Keep Our NHS Public campaign and we are pleased trade unions are uniting to fight privatisation.
‘We will be discussing action to defend the NHS.
‘The British Medical Association conference last month dealt a severe blow to the government’s NHS market reforms by voting to support the aims and principles of the “Keep Our NHS Public” campaign.
‘The move puts the powerful doctors’ body in outright opposition to government policy – and even casts doubts about the government’s ability to put its reforms into practice.’
• See editorial page 6
• Second News story
LORD LEVY ARRESTED
PM BLAIR’S chief fundraiser Lord Levy, popularly known as ‘Lord Cashpoint’, was arrested yesterday.
His arrest is reported to be in connection with the ‘cash-for-honours’ inquiry by the Metropolitan Police.
Lord Levy, 61, made money in the music industry in the 1960s and 1970s, managing singers including Alvin Stardust and Chris Rea.
He has been a high profile fundraiser for Labour since Tony Blair’s election. Lord Levy was held at a North London police station and was later bailed to appear at a future date.
Downing Street yesterday refused to comment saying that it was a Labour Party matter.
Alex Salmond, the Scottish Nationalist MP who first raised the issue did make a comment. He said: ‘This is a victory over cynicism.
‘If we are talking about water it is now lapping around the ankles of the Prime Minister.
‘The Blair house of cards is starting to collapse.’
Scotland Yard said that Levy had been arrested under the Honours Abuse Act of 1925.
