Time to talk up public services

Mar 15 2010 by Kevin Rowan, The Journal

TODAY sees the Newcastle launch of a national trade union campaign for public services. Public services, as well as public sector employment, are more important here than anywhere else in the UK.

Somehow the political discourse around our economic conditions has been allowed to shift from the morally bankrupt, greed-fuelled actions of a few reckless bankers to blaming public sector workers for being ‘too highly paid’ and enjoying ‘unrealistic pensions’.

Nothing could be further from the truth. These politically motivated attacks on public spending and public sector workers risk further, irreparable damage to the economy, harm to social progress and could not only jeopardise the recovery but increase the likelihood of a double-dip recession.

It is the fact that the private sector relies heavily on public spending.

In the North East there is more than £3.4bn spent by the public sector, much of which is spent locally, supporting well over 35,000 jobs.

Public spending has kept both the private and the public sector going during the downturn; it is not just public sector employment that is threatened by spending cuts.

Not just employment is at risk, either. Investing in public services happens for a reason, it contributes to better social and economic outcomes.

It is the case that the region’s health and wellbeing and educational attainment have all benefited from additional public spending, with the region’s health trusts and Local Education Authorities all performing well.

Employability support too has been an area where the region has necessarily attracted investment, reflecting the legacy of economic activity that was improving steadily before the economic crisis hit.

Public services make a tremendous contribution to those in most need, the poorest and most vulnerable in our society – public services are a real equalising factor.

The significant job losses that have occurred in the region have largely to date been in the private sector, although there have been cuts in local government and the civil service. These job losses have exacerbated a key structural weakness in the regional economy, a private sector base that is woefully too small, making us over-dependent on public sector employment. It is this public sector base that has stopped us suffering even more from the recession.

It is a vital part of our economy and one we should seek to protect.

Arguments that cutting public sector costs and jobs are what we need are completely bogus.

Kevin Rowan, Regional Secretary Northern TUC