14 September 2001
Outwardly, unions supported the decision to wind up the TUC a day early as a mark of respect for the victims of the terrorist attacks in the US. 'Whatever importance we might have attached to domestic issues such as privatisation pales into insignificance when compared with the problems that now face the free world,' said Nigel de Gruchy, general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers.
But sources said the decision was far from unanimous, with some union officials unwilling to shelve the long-awaited debate on the future of public services. The apparent mood among delegates was that an opportunity had been missed. One told Public Finance that the situation was a 'cop-out'.
Unions were also far from appeased by the tone of Prime Minister Tony Blair's speech, which was also shelved but copies were circulated to delegates.
In it Blair attempts to defuse the row over the use of the private sector by claiming that 'nobody is talking about privatising the NHS or schools'.
'Nobody has said the private sector is a panacea to sort out our public services,' the speech continues. 'Let us not misrepresent our positions for the sake of a headline or an invitation to the TV studio. And let us hear no more false charges.'
The speech also hints at future attempts to create a 'level playing field' between the public and private sectors with improvements to employment conditions and more flexible working practices.
But Blair will face an uphill struggle to quell the row, with unions internally split over how to deal with the government's agenda. Sources told Public Finance that activists among some unions, including public sector giant Unison, were pressing for the leadership to take a hard line, while there was some disquiet among unions over the GMB's 'extreme' stance.
Northern activists are threatening to launch a deselection campaign against any MP that supports public-private partnerships.
'There is a danger of sliding back into the argument of direct labour, right or wrong, which would prove disastrous for the public sector,' one official said.
PFsep2001
