UNISONActive is an unofficial blog produced by UNISON activists for UNISON activists. Bringing news, briefings and events from a progressive left perspective.

Friday 4 June 2010

Privatisation Resumes - the World Bank is Happy‏

A recent report out from the World Bank highlights the decline in privatisation in 2007 and 2008 across the world's public services due of course to the collapse in bank lending. The World Bank's four-page analysis of "Privatization Trends" is available at:
http://rru.worldbank.org/documents/publicpolicyjournal/322Kikeri_Perault.pdf

Of course there can be no sell offs without the loans from the banking sector. But now they are back lending privatisation is back on the agenda. There is further impetus to this global project being undertaken by the World Bank by the austerity programmes being introduced by governments in the so called developed world.

Faced with budget cuts governments will be forced to sell of public assets or cheapen service costs with contractors. There is an alternative of course and that would be the creation of money by governments to be spent directly into the economy by providing public services and infrastructure.

If they can do it to bail out banks they can do it to provide the citizens of the world with high quality infrastructure, services and jobs!