Fix contact tracing, Scrap Serco: Day of action Tues April 27th

Can you take action locally on Tuesday 27th to call on Matt Hancock to Scrap Serco? Here's why you're needed!

We believe Serco's contact tracing contract will end May 17th, with a two-week notice period giving us until May 3rd. The government has had to admit that their system isn't working, handed over more contact tracing to local teams in a new pilot, but it's not enough. We need to end Serco's contracts once and for all. 

To put an end to privatised track and trace, we need you to organise action locally. Will you join others on April 27th to put the heat on Matt Hancock? Help show him that communities aren't going anywhere - we want an end to Serco having any part in our public health services.

How to organise to scrap Serco on the Day of Action, April 27th

  1. It can be as simple as inviting one person or a small group (we advise no more than 6 people) to meet together outside the local council leader's office, or the town hall, with placards to say: 'Scrap Serco'. If you have the capacity, feel free to get creative. There are some action ideas further below*.  We've also put together a list below of towns and cities where action has been confirmed.  

  2. Once you've got the details confirmed, reach out to us at Info@weownit.org.uk. We'll help you get in the local press. We'll also offer you a template letter you can send to your council leader in advance of your action, to make the ask that they write to Hancock on this, and inviting them to come support.

  3. On the day, immediately after the action, make sure to send us photos and do a post with photos on Facebook, Twitter (draft tweet here) and Instagram, tagging @We_ownit. Make sure to tag your local council leader too, asking them to write to Matt Hancock to demand he scraps Serco's contract. 

If you can't leave the house, could you instead take a picture with the placard, and send us the picture to send to your local council leader with the demand?

We've even got a placard for an action if you're based in a devolved nation - where they DO have contact tracing in public hands. So you can join the action too.

Thank you so much for taking action to scrap Serco!

*More ideas for action 

- Stunt ideas: Can you play on the whopping £37 billion budget, perhaps leaving 37 phones for example (a link to contact tracing is helpful) outside the building which makes a big impact for a photo. 

- Dido Harding has been the head of the NHS Test and Trace. Can you target her for her bad decision to continue using privatised outsourcers? Maybe 'Dido, Queen of Carnage', or highlight her links to Horse racing, 'the £37 billion trojan horse'. Another idea, 'Dido has run away with our money. Let local public health teams lead on contact tracing'. Or at a stretch, 'Round up Dido’s cowboys & let the pros take over'.

- You could highlight that Matt Hancock has blood on his hands with some fake blood and a paper mask, making for a dramatic photo. The mistakes of this government and Matt Hancock have led to the UK having one of the highest death tolls in the world. This is shocking and needs to be called out.

- It will be Workers Memorial Day on April 28th, and thousands of workers have died due to bad decisions and negligence by this government. Can you highlight this in your action?

- CEO of Serco Rupert Soames said he wanted to “cement the position of the private sector” in the NHS supply chain. He sees our public services as a cash cow to be exploited. Why not show him we won't let this happen?

Confirmed local action events:

Calderdale - online event

Huddersfield, - 11am, Huddersfield Civic Centre

Leamington Spa - 11am, Leamington Town Hall

Leeds - 11am, County Hall, Millennium Square

Liverpool - 11am, Lime Street Station

London - 8.30am, Downing Street

London - 3pm, Hackney Town Hall

Manchester - 11am, St Peter's Square, outside the Central Reference Library

Oxford - 11am-12pm, between Bonn Square and County Hall

 

 

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