The article on wsws.org details a protracted dispute at Airedale General Hospital in the UK involving healthcare workers fighting against the privatization of hospital services through the creation of subsidiary companies, or “SubCos.” The dispute centers on approximately 500 non-clinical staff, including cleaners, caterers, and porters, who were transferred to a wholly-owned subsidiary called Airedale Enterprise Services (AES). Workers feared this transfer would lead to lower wages, worsened working conditions, and a two-tier workforce, effectively privatizing their jobs.
The article highlights the determination of the Airedale workers to resist the SubCo, noting previous strike action. It criticizes the trade unions involved, particularly UNISON, for what it describes as a history of isolating and demobilizing workers in similar disputes across the NHS. The author asserts that UNISON, rather than fighting privatization, has often collaborated with NHS management to implement cost-cutting measures and accept the creation of SubCos.
The piece argues that the Airedale workers’ struggle is emblematic of a wider trend of privatization within the NHS and that a victory requires a broader, coordinated mobilization of healthcare workers across the country against the SubCo model. It concludes that the existing unions have failed to provide the necessary leadership and have actively undermined efforts to resist privatization.
find the original article here: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/10/06/lhlf-o06.html