17 August 2018 was the evening when the united forces of Reading's anti-austerity labour movement came together to say 'Enough is Enough'. Individuals from the Labour Party, trade unions and other campaign groups met to discuss the formation of a united protesting and campaigning group. The result is the establishment of RECAP - Reading Campaign Against Privatisation.
RECAP is determined to fight against any further cuts to public services, to privatisation of the same - and also to campaign for the return to public control of social services already handed over to the private sector and the 'third sector' (voluntary or charity organisations). The central objects of RECAP can be found on its debut leaflet:
RECAP identifies the austerity government of Teresa May's Conservatives as the principal target of its campaigning. However, Reading Borough Council - while being heavily constrained by government income limitations - needs to show leadership and opposition to the Tory's cuts agenda and work creatively to preserve the socialised control of public services. RECAP will oppose RBC's drive to privatise and rationalise public services and calls on the Council to engage with the trade unions to work through the difficult times until a Labour Government is elected. The trade union movement - being directly connected to the workers delivering services to and for the people of Reading - contains substantial intellectual capital that RBC needs to tap into in order to manage the austerity being imposed upon it by the Conservative Government. The slash-and-burn approach of cuts and privatisation will not maintain public services, will not save RBC money - and will not preserve public support for the incumbent councillors.
For more details about RECAP and for ways to get involved - including influencing RBC's current consultation on privatising services - 'Like' the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/readingagainstprivatisation/ and follow the website: http://recap.group/.
