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SHA Scotland - Scottish Labour Party Conference 2010
Emergency Motion
Equality and Fairness
This conference notes the analysis from a number of respected organisations
following the Comprehensive Spending Review that highlights the inherent
unfairness of the Con-Dem coalition spending plans.
Conference recognises that Labour has to reiterate that fairness and justice is
what we are all about. The new leader of Labour, Ed Miliband MP has identified
fairness as a need for "responsibility at the top of society too. The gap
between rich and poor does matter. It doesn’t just harm the poor, it harms us
all". Scottish Labour needs to develop all our policies by looking through this
equality and fairness lens. Inequalities manifest themselves greatest in terms
of inequalities in health and wellbeing. However, all initiatives need to
consider the impact of health inequalities, and focus on tackling them as a
priority outcome.
Conference therefore believes that this approach is the progressive mainstream
thinking that will win support from a broad cross section of Scottish opinion.
This is the centre ground and therefore should be central to our political
strategy.
To reflect this political strategy Conference further welcomes the statement by
Ed Miliband MP that “we must move on from New Labour”. New Labour was always a
brand name that has no status in our constitution, but sometimes strengthened
the perception that Labour was not focused on tackling inequality. In
recognition of this welcome initiative Conference requests that the branding
“New Labour” be removed from all Scottish Labour Party letter headings and
documents as soon as possible.
Socialist Health Association Scotland
SHA Scotland - Scottish Labour Party Conference 2008
Contemporary Motion
NHS Occupational Health Privatisation
This conference condemns the decision by NHS Glasgow and Clyde to privatise
their Occupational Health Service using the private provider Capita. This was
confirmed in February, only after staff trade unions challenged the employers to
come clean over their secret plans.
The Chief Executive and Senior Managers claim that the service is not being
effectively delivered but have never consulted or even discussed their opinion
with staff in the service or their representatives. This in-house service has
been in operation for decades and was one of the first and largest in Scotland.
In 2006-7, 5900 employees were referred or self-referred to the service.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the World Health Organisation
(WHO) define occupational health as the promotion and maintenance of the highest
degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations
by preventing departures from health, controlling risks and the adoption of work
to people and people to their jobs. The Scottish Government claims it is
committed to promoting occupational health services through the Healthy Working
Lives Initiative and the Cabinet Secretary has stated that “We reject the very
idea that markets in health care are the route to improvement”.
It is an accepted fact that NHS workers suffer on average greater physical and
mental stress than most other workers. NHS Glasgow and Clyde Occupational Health
Service requires to be better developed and enhanced rather than privatised.
Doing this with a privatised service operated under rigid contracts, for profit,
would as witnessed from past experience be extremely difficult. Also Capita, the
preferred buyer, nicknamed "Crapita" by Private Eye magazine, has a less than
admirable record in delivering services. Public confidence in NHS healthcare
will be undermined when the health of staff is privatised.
Conference therefore calls upon Labour MSPs within the Glasgow and Clyde Health
Board area to make representations to the Health Board and the Health Minister
in order to reverse this retrograde and short-sighted proposal.
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