UK/Europe: What kinds of companies are delivering our public services?

The outsourcing of public services has become big business and is increasing as governments around Europe resort to it in the hope of making short-term cost savings. While public sector unions have often argued against privatization on the grounds of the impact on the quality of employment and the quality of services, they have focused much less on the social responsibility of the companies that are winning the contracts. A recent report by Ethical Consumer magazine in the UK has put 20 of the biggest of contractors under the spotlight and exposed some of their shortcomings under a range of social, ethical and environmental criteria. Read more here.