An Institute for Government (IfG) report
warning that the government is risking another Carillion by ignoring reforms to
how public contracts are awarded exposes a ‘broken outsourcing model’, Unite
said.
Unite, the UK and Ireland’s
largest union, said IfG’s report on how the government is ignoring
Cabinet Office guidelines, established following the collapse of outsourcing
giant Carillion two years ago, shows public services are ‘dangerously exposed’.
Calling on the government to end
its culture of ‘needless outsourcing’, the union said ministers are playing ‘Russian
roulette’ with services and infrastructure by signing ‘dodgy contracts with
bandit capitalist firms’.
Unite assistant general secretary
Gail Cartmail said: “The report shows ministers are continuing to play Russian
roulette with vital public services and infrastructure by signing dodgy
contracts with bandit capitalist firms.
“It is clear that the Cabinet
Office’s so called guidelines are toothless. The lessons from Carillion and
Interserve are being completely ignored, leaving public services dangerously
exposed.
“Ministers must not wait until
there is a repeat of the Carillion disaster. Proper safeguards must be
introduced along with a wholesale reform of the government’s culture of
needless outsourcing.”
