Workers Uniting To Investigate Private US Companies Bidding For NHS Contracts

Workers Uniting the world's first global trade union is to launch an investigation into private US-based companies which are bidding for contracts in the NHS.

Workers Uniting, which brings together the US-Canadian United Steelworkers and Unite, is to launch the investigation following the passing of US President Barack Obama's Health Care Bill through the US Senate.

Currently, 47 million US citizens are without health insurance - despite gross profits for the private health industry topping $25 billion (£15bn).

Many of the private companies being offered contracts in the NHS by the Department of Health have, ironically, actively lobbied and campaigned against the Bill in the US.

Companies bidding for contracts in the NHS to provide services include United Healthcare, BUPA and Europe's largest accounting firm KPMG.

Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail explained that the "creeping privatisation" must be debated and exposed.

"Just as Workers Uniting is fighting to win health care for all in the US the global union is also working to prevent the profits-over-people privatisation of the UK health system," she said.

"The global union is launching an investigation of the preferred bidders chosen by the Department of Health to work within the NHS.

"Union activists from primary care trusts all over the UK will be debating the creeping privatisation of NHS services at the conference."

United Steelworkers International vice-president Carol Landry said that millions of workers around the world "believe now is the time to stop putting profits over people and to recognise that health care is a human right, no matter where you live."