UNISON members are behind our campaign to stop their neoliberal experiment

London Metropolitan University needs further industrial action like we need a hole in the head, but current management give us no choice with their plans to privatise large swaths of back-office functions (Report, 15 August). Since the G4S Olympics fiasco, does anybody still believe the private sector delivers improved services or savings? London Met's vice-chancellor, Malcolm Gillies, and his friend in government, David Willetts, certainly do, and so does Willetts' close adviser Jonathan Woodhead, who since the general election has worked for London Met. But no one outside the upper echelons of power at London Met Uni does, and certainly not Unison members, who are fully behind our campaign to stop their neoliberal experiment on our already troubled university. An industrial action ballot is imminent if the university goes ahead to sign a contract with Capita, Wipro or BT Global – all of whom have a horrendous record in messing up public services elsewhere and have a tendency to send jobs overseas to save money. Catherine Maguire, Max Watson London Met Unison, Sara Wright, Naomi Bain, Molly Cooper, Sandy Nicoll Unison Higher Education, London http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/aug/20/university-challenge-london-metropolitan-university?