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BY HAJERA BLAGG
APSE OF AN “
It is frightening that the legal framework in the UK is so weak that no one was able to intervene to prevent [Carillion’s] collapse, despite it now becoming apparent its financial problems began a decade ago
Gail Cartmail Unite AGS
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Fall from grace – Unite demands full public enquiry
grilled over what went wrong, none admitted any direct fault and they all refused to return the bonuses they amassed at the helm of the ship they themselves were sinking.
Howson insisted that he deserved every penny of his bonuses and would not give any money back unless it was proved that the bonuses weren’t paid “in line with processes.”
Unite general secretary Len McCluksey slammed Carillion’s executive culture of “take, take, take”, while Labour MPs called the firm’s bosses “delusional”.
Beyond the tens of thousands of people working for Carillion whose futures are now upended, the firm’s massive
involvement in the public sector means, in the end, every one of us will pay.
The legal winding up of Carillion will cost at least £50m – a cost that will be principally borne by the taxpayer. Some major public projects have been put on hold, such as the new Royal Liverpool Hospital, which is now unlikely to be completed this year after already facing months of delays. On the day of the collapse, firefighters in Oxfordshire were put on standby to serve children their lunches.
If any lesson is to be learned from Carillion’s spectacular fall from grace, it’s the futility of the private sector – whose only real concern is enriching its top bosses and shareholders – running public services meant for the collective good.
15 uniteWORKS Spring 2018
Unite has called for a full public inquiry into Carillion and a national taskforce that provides
immediate assistance to
redundant workers and small businesses caught up in the firm’s collapse. The union will continue lobbying the government to put an to end privately funded projects or PFIs, which a new analysis has shown ends up costing the taxpayer 40 per cent more than using government money alone.
“What we need is for the government to arrive at the same conclusion as the people – big business values are not compatible with public services values,” McCluskey said. “For 30 long years, trade unions have been a lone voice warning that the private sector was not the best fit with our public services. We weren’t listened to but we need to be now.”
Mark Thomas
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