Responding to today’s (Monday) news that Carillion has gone into liquidation, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “This is a terrible time for the thousands of people employed under Carillion contracts right across the public sector.
“Staff need assurances about whether they have a job, who will pay their wages, and what’s going to happen to their pensions.
“The government needs to move quickly to bring these contracts back in-house – to safeguard our services and to protect the many staff in schools, hospitals, local authorities and libraries.
“It’s disgraceful that Carillion was lining the pockets of its shareholders, even though the company’s future was increasingly uncertain.
“Crucial public services have been put at risk, and the taxpayer is going to be stuck picking up the bill for yet another failed privatisation experiment.
“Carillion holds key contracts across the health service – with the current winter pressures, staff shortages and underfunding, further uncertainty puts the NHS in a precarious position.”