TUC general secretary John Monks attacked the PFI. He told a packed fringe meeting at Bournemouth that it was 鈥渘othing more than a glorified mortgage showing up debt later on.
鈥淧orters, catering staff and maintenance workers end up suffering poorer conditions at work because of the PFI.鈥�
Monks applauded recent government moves to protect the pensions of staff transferring to PFI consortia. He added: 鈥淲e are looking for even greater improvements to guarantee pensions for new workers in PFI, not just those transferred [from the public sector].鈥�
Speaking at the same Socialist Health Group meeting, Dave Prentice, deputy general secretary of ancillary workers鈥� union Unison, said: 鈥淲e do not think that the government is getting value for money from the PFI. Some of the bidders that are winning PFI contracts are paying interest rates of 18% on their loans. How can that represent value for money?鈥� Bronwyn McKenna, Unison鈥檚 director of members鈥� services, seconded Monks鈥� complaint that workers who are transferred from the public sector often ended up with worse terms and conditions.
