Our communities need safe track and trace

Dear
John
,

Today hundreds of you took part in 20 actions across the country from Margate to Newcastle! Within a week, you organised to demand that money go to local public health protection teams for track and trace, not failing Serco.

It's 5 days before Matt Hancock renews the contracts with Serco and Sitel. The government are trying to pretend they've listened, but the reality is that these companies are likely getting millions to continue doing more of the same. Email your council leader to tell them what's happened over the past week. They can raise your concerns with Matt Hancock.
Tell your council leader that they must email Hancock NOW ([link removed])
Much has been made of the government's move to 'strengthen regional contact tracing' but it doesn't hold up. The government are in fact:
* Still going to have remote callers make the first call and follow up locally only after not reaching them.
* Only redeploying a small number of national call handlers to local teams, and they could still be hundreds of miles away.
* Not giving local authorities any more funding to do tracing work, like the door knocking ([link removed]) .

And renewing Serco and Sitel's contracts lines them up for another £528 million potentially.

That's money that could be going to local teams who have been doing a much better job of reaching people. Seeing people take action today is awe inspiring - action groups including Unite members got press coverage from Leamington ([link removed]) to Bristol ([link removed]) , and more photos can be found here ([link removed]) or down below!

It reminds me we must keep fighting.

By asking your council leader to send a letter to Matt Hancock, you're both showing support for local track and trace, and showing Hancock that the pressure is mounting.
Tell your council leader that you support SAFE, public track and trace. ([link removed])
If you live in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, you probably know that public health teams are leading the response, however we in England still hugely appreciate you taking action in solidarity here. ([link removed])

While we think the contracts are going to be renewed, we don't know for how long and we believe that we can get them scrapped.

We need to show that we're not satisfied with private companies getting paid for FAILING. We want public teams running track and trace, and not a penny more going to Serco and Sitel.

More and more public figures are calling for the money to go to local public health protection teams. Ask your council leader to join them.
Write to your local council leader today ([link removed])
Thank you so much. Your actions show the care we have for our communities every day. You're amazing.

All the best,
Cat, Alice, Pascale, Chris, and Ellen - the We Own It team

Unite activists out today to demand: Not a penny more to Serco. Join them here ([link removed]) !

Action takers in Bristol!

Campaigners outside Newcastle upon Tyne Civic Centre. David McAllister, North East Peoples Assembly, said: "We stand against all privatisation and cuts to public services...We are here supporting health workers who are standing in the way of private companies making a killing out of our public services."

Please take action against NHS privatisation today by emailing your council leader ([link removed]) . ([link removed])

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