Year: 2009

A report by the Campaign Against Climate Change trade union group which makes the case for 1 million new climate jobs. It explains the difference between climate and green jobs, how they will be funded, why and how the jobs will be created. A detailed report is planned in 2010. Dexter Whitfield, ESSU, advised on the job calculations.

The ESSU has produced a report for the Northern TUC, UNISON and UNITE into the safety and operational performance of Deutsche Bahn, currently one of two organisations processing through the final stages of competitive tendering to run Tyne and Wear Metro services for Nexus, the Tyne & Wear Passenger Transport Authority, the other ‘bidder’ being an in-house bid team.

ESSU has worked closely with UNISON Barnet in responding to Barnet Council’s Future Shape proposals. This has included responding to the October 2009 Cabinet report, production of a draft Corporate Procurement Strategy and a two-day commissioning and procurement training course. A detailed response to the Council’s latest proposals on the ‘personalisation’ of services is being produced.

Nexus, the Tyne & Wear Passenger Transport Authority, has been required to seek tenders for an operational contract, a government imposed condition of £300m public investment. ESSU Director, Dexter Whitfield, has been the trade union observer, on behalf of the Northern TUC, UNISON and UNITE, in the three week moderation stage of the bid evaluation process.

The ESSU worked with the University and College Union on their guide for branch activists on fighting privatisation. ESSU also produced a Commissioning and Procurement Guide on the marketisation and privatisation of tertiary education for the union’s internal use.

The new and expanded edition of the PPP Database covers 40 PPP local government contracts with a combined value of £8.1bn and employing 16,624 staff. It includes a new table on terminated contracts.

Barnet’s Future Shape programme has concluded that a single ‘vehicle’ for the delivery of all Council service was is not feasible. The Council now plans a three-stage process of consolidation, commissioning and provision under a ‘one Barnet public sector’ approach. This report is the joint trade union response to the second phase two Future Shape report to Cabinet on 6 July 2009.

Over the last two years Bury UNISON, with the support of ESSU, has opposed the possible outsourcing of corporate services to a Strategic Service-delivery Partnership with a private contractor. This has included involvement in Council working groups to assess current performance, evidence to Overview and Scrutiny and producing briefings for staff and elected members. The Council has decided continue current plans to develop and improve services and not commence procurement.

The in-house bid of the First Steps Day Nursery, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has been successful following a procurement process and bids from private nurseries. The 89-place nursery moves into new accommodation in the PFI hospital development in May with a five year contract with a possible two year extension. ESSU advised UNISON and staff in the preparation of the bid. Jobs, terms and conditions have been retained.

Presentation at University & College Union North West conference on Marketisation of Education, Manchester, January 2009.