'If we don't get this - we will continue to campaign': Dozens protest to axe Dudley leisure centre privatisation
Dozens of campaigners have stood on the steps of Dudley Council House to oppose the privatisation of leisure services across the region.
Chants of 'people over profits' were shouted out as campaigners look to dispute plans to hand over management of the DB Leisure Centres in Dudley to private firms in a bid to cut £42 million from its budget for the 2025/26 period.
The announcement of the plans by Dudley Council were met with strong opposition, with a 5,000 person petition being launched in reponse to the proposals.
Now, dozens of campaigners have taken to Dudley's council house prior to tonights full meeting of the council to vocalise their protests against the privatistation plans.
Talking about the campaign and what is at stake, Paul Quigley, branch officer for Dudley general Unison branch, said: "If they [Dudley Council] place the ownership of the leisure centres into the hands of private companies, they going to be looking to make a profit out of them.
"They're going to be doing that by attacking the terms and conditions of the workforce, and increasing the costs, such as access to the leisure centres and the free swimming for kids."
Mr Quigley added that while optimistic if the campaign group doesn't get the result they are hoping for, the campaign "will continue."
"We've been campaigning for a number of months, we have a motion that is going in front of the full council meeting tonight and we have pledges from a large number of councils to end the privatisation process.
"We are optimistic about the possible results tonight, but we can say that obviously if we don't get the result we are after, then this campaign will continue."
Among the campaigners at tonight's demonstration was Labour MP for Stourbridge, Catt Eccles, who has been backing the petition since it first launched on August 26, 2024.
Ms Eccles said: "It's been a fantastic campaign and everyone has worked really hard on this to keep attention on the issue at hand, and the people tonight just show the seriousness of the issue.
"I have raised this with Angela Rayner's team as well, currently leisure doesn't form part of the statutory service, if we are going to overhaul the NHS and move towards a preventative model in public health, we really need to reconsider how we look at these things."
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