Addressing delegates at UNISON’s annual water, environment and transport conference in Liverpool today (Sunday), general secretary Christina McAnea said:
“It’s now almost a year since the general election.
“It’s fair to say it’s not all been plain sailing for the Labour government. But after fourteen long years of failure and division, it was a relief to see the back of the Tories.
“Much of what the union’s been fighting for is now coming to fruition. The Employment Rights Bill going through parliament is a once-in-a-generation upgrade to rights in the workplace.
“These policies wouldn’t have come about without a Labour government.
“Staff at the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales and SEPA continue to resist chronic underfunding and wage stagnation. They face impossible workloads piled on under-resourced teams.
“Protecting the environment can’t be done on the cheap. Flooding, pollution and the climate crisis can’t be tackled with skeleton staffing, shrinking budgets and underpaid staff.
“The Cunliffe report sheds light on the gross failures of the privatised water industry and the companies pumping millions of gallons of raw sewage into our rivers and seas.
“Profit-driven models for essential life-giving services like water are disastrous. And the report found chronic underinvestment, financial mismanagement and an utter failure to deliver for the public.
“As we head into the warmer months, families across the country may want to swim in rivers and seas.
“But now they have to check sewage alerts first. Swimmers and surfers are falling sick from polluted waters. That’s the cost of underinvestment and corporate greed.
“The crisis facing Thames Water is no accident. It’s the inevitable outcome of a broken system.
“One that rewards failure with bonuses, that prioritises dividends over infrastructure and investment. The failed model puts shareholders before staff and the public.
“Turning the sector around will need years of sustained investment. But it shouldn’t be the customers who are asked to pay again. The companies must fix their mess.
“Water must be publicly owned. So must our transport systems, so must the agencies charged with defending the environment and preparing us for climate emergencies.
“Public services should serve people, not markets.”
Notes to editors:
– UNISON’s annual water, environment and transport conference took place today (Sunday) at ACC Liverpool, Kings Dock Street, Liverpool L3 4FP. This will be followed by the union’s national conference, which takes place from Tuesday to Friday (17 to 20 June). Issues to be discussed include the future of the NHS, the employment rights bill, migrant workers, apprenticeships and local government reorganisation. Further details can be found here.
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.
Media contacts:
Fatima Ayad M: 07508 080383 E: f.ayad@unison.co.uk
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
The article Protecting the environment can’t be done on the cheap first appeared on the UNISON National site.
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