PPPs are killing us, say local authority caterers
Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and legislative pressures are causing serious concerns among local authority caterers.
According to a group of local authority caterers, talking last week at the Catering Forum, on the cruise ship Oriana, the Government's introduction of PPPs is preventing local authorities from providing catering in schools.
The group added that, as more and more services were transferred to private catering companies through the scheme, they were being left with fewer services to provide. They also feared that they were losing staff to the bigger private companies as they were transferred with contracts.
The local authority caterers were also angry that legislation forced on them was distracting them from providing a proper service. Many said that legislation such as Best Value was starting to cripple the industry.
Also high up on the local authority caterers' list of gripes was their poor image, both within the industry and among their customers. Many said that they felt as if they were viewed by the rest of the hospitality industry as "the lowest form of life".
Recruitment, training and the retention of staff were also seen as major issues for the authorities, as were budget and subsidy reductions.