Two pro-health service candidates DR KAY PHILLIPS and LYNN WORTHINGTON today announced their intent to stand against Labour Party councillors at the May elections, in Baguley and Cheetham Hill wards.

The sitting Labour councillors TONY BURNS and MARTIN PAGEL are members of Manchester’s Community Mental Health & Social Care Trust Board, which last year sacked nurse Karen Reissmann following an interview she gave to a magazine.

Both Kay and Lynn supported Ms Reissmann’s campaign for reinstatement and have campaigned against other changes to health services, which they say will be detrimental to staff and patients.

Kay is prospective candidate for the RESPECT party. Lynn is prospective candidate for SOCIALIST ALTERNATIVE, electoral name of Socialist Party.

COMMENTING, KAY PHILLIPS SAID:

The dismissal of health worker and UNISON branch chair, Karen Reissmann, was a disgrace. Karen represents the very best about our health service. A nurse who is not only committed to the principles of the NHS but one who would stand up for patients and her fellow health workers. The fact that her colleagues took the very difficult decision to take strike action to secure her reinstatement, alongside overwhelming support from the public, are a recognition of that fact.

We are not aware of any actions that they took in opposition to Karen’s dismissal and any attempts since to secure her reinstatement. They appeared to have sat on their hands and remained silent. We are making this point it is because both of them are Labour Party Councillors, and the Labour Party was created by the trade union movement to give a voice to workers and their struggles.  Councillors Burns and Pagel seemed to have forgotten this history.  It should be a simple choice for these two Labour councillors. They should have stood up for a trade unionist sacked for telling the truth and representing her fellow trade unionists. They could have shown the same commitment and sacrifice that Karen’s fellow workers did in striking to win her re-instatement. We very much suspect however, that they put their own self interest first.

COMMENTING, LYNN WORTHINGTON SAID:

I believe New Labour no longer represents working-class people, and is set on the destruction of the health service. The sacking of Karen Reissmann is the latest in a series of attacks on health care in our city.