Responding to the announcement on Wednesday that around 2,000 facilities staff across government – in roles like cleaning, catering and security – are set to be brought in-house after talks with PCS Union, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak has shared his comments.
He said: “This is an important step towards the government’s promise to deliver the biggest wave of insourcing in a generation.
“It shows what’s possible when the government listens to and works with unions, identifying contracts which are failing workers and the services they deliver – and securing change.
“For far too long, rampant outsourcing has led to shareholders cashing in at the expense of workers and our public services.
“The scourge of outsourcing can be felt all the way through our public sector – from fragmentation of services to two-tier workforces, where outsourced staff are on worse pay and conditions than their directly employed colleagues.
“The government has promised to right this wrong by bringing outsourced public contracts back in house. Today’s announcement should be a signal of intent – and kickstart a serious programme of insourcing contracts across the public sector.
“This will ultimately stop money being wasted and help rebuild our public services, so they are run for public good – not for profit.”
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