Still, there have been encouraging moments:

Several Fremantle careworkers went to Unison conference in Bournemouth in June this year, and got a great reception from the union's grassroots.

Struggling to pay their own bills in the economic downturn, and furious at Unison's ongoing affiliation with New Labour, public sector union members made a lot of noise in support of the Fremantle careworkers.

Gamanga was especially well received as she spoke about the dispute, the struggle to survive financially - and the careworkers' reluctance, ultimately, to abandon their campaign.

There was some evidence, too, that the campaign had been useful to others:

Bristol union reps said they had managed to alert Bristol careworkers to the cons of privatisation by circulating Fremantle careworkers' campaign material far and wide.

For them, the Fremantle careworkers' experience was classic instance of how not to save money, deliver a service, or retain staff. They have worked with Bristol council (successfully, they say) to keep staff and their service in house.

'Well - I know it doesn't help you and I hope you don't mind us using you like that, but it worked,' Bristol Unison's Jacqueline Fleming told Sandra Jones outside the conference centre.

'You've got to laugh,' laughed Jones.

Photo: Jacqueline Fleming and Sandra Jones at Unison conference, Bournemouth, 2008.