Today, representatives from the trade unions GMB, Unite and Unison are holding a protest outside of Copeland Borough Town Hall against the council's plans to outsource particular services.

Copeland Councillors have voted on their 2015/16 budget plans twice, and both times unanimously agreed on the need to commission out certain services. This decision was no doubt motivated by new government cuts which have called for the council to achieve savings of £3.3 million by the end of next year.

Dan Gow, protester and GMB regional organiser, claimed 'the commissioning of services to the private sector will do little to bridge any imposed funding gaps... History has shown that privatisation will clearly have a huge impact on terms and conditions while private employers seek to increase profit margins from their contracts.'

Going by that statement, it seems likely that Gow and his fellow representatives have failed to recognise the distinction between outsourcing and privatisation. When the public sector outsources an operation, it will usually maintain full control and accountability for that service, while privatisation takes ownership away from the outsourcing body.

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