In the wake of the £250,000 wasted on the flawed bid to re-tender care services for vulnerable people, UNISON’s Edinburgh Branch has called on the Council to halt it’s ‘new business model’ outsourcing plans and open up the books on its figures.
In meetings today (3 Feb) the Council has so far refused to do so but UNISON lead negotiator Kevin Duguid will urge a council meeting on Thursday morning to think again.
“The Evening News clearly has a report showing that the whole process was flawed. That report needs to be published if there is to be any transparency in the Council’s sell-off plans. Otherwise how can we believe any of the claims the council is making about outsourcing?”, said John Stevenson, UNISON Edinburgh Branch President.
“There is a common sense doubt that most people must have. If services are delivered in-house with no need to make a profit, how can they be delivered more cheaply while making a profit on top?
“Something has to give and that is usually the quality of the service or indeed the whole service – along with any decency in the pay and conditions of those delivering the service.
“You still pay your taxes but instead of the money going on the service and those who deliver it, it goes to company profits. That is a disgrace and it is time for the council to come clean”