TORONTO -- Canada's largest union committed itself Friday to a $5-million national campaign aimed at fighting privatization services.

Delegates to the convention of the Canadian Union of Public Employees approved the strategic initiative aimed at bolstering public services -- or at least stopping their erosion.

"(CUPE) will continue to defend public services everywhere in Canada," said Paul Moist, the union's national president.

"We're going to be stepping up our electoral activities."

In its Strategic Directions Program, the 560,000-member union calls publicly funded and delivered services the "backbone" of any community.

"The political context of the threats facing public services and our members dictates that we develop a cohesive and co-ordinated approach," the document states.

The program calls for a combination of strikes, demonstrations, lobbying and political campaigns to achieve the goal of fighting off privatization in sectors where the union is active, such as in health care, municipalities, social services, education and child care.

"Privatization and contracting out is a direct attack on equality and it impacts visible minorities disproportionately," the program states….