Contacting the Branch

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If you have any questions or need any support please contact the Branch Office

 contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

Or you can call 020 8359 2088, if we are unable to answer the telephone please leave a message speaking slowly and clearly please include your name, telephone number, membership number and a brief message about the assistance you require. We will respond as soon as we can.

Alternatively you can contact UNISON Direct Call Centre by telephone 

08000 857 857 Monday – Friday 6am – Midnight, Saturday 9am – 4pm

or make an online enquiry by clicking the following link

https://www.unison.org.uk/get-help/online-enquiries/

To Join UNISON click the following link 

https://join.unison.org.uk/

Weekly Blog – Employment Rights Act 2025

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Monday 27th July 2026

 

Weekly Blog – Employment Rights Act 2025 – What does it mean for workers? 

The Employment Rights Act 2025 is now law, but it is not one big switch that has suddenly improved every workplace. Some rights are already in force. Others will arrive later, and some still depend on regulations and consultation.

The useful question for members is simple: what has changed, what is still coming, and will employers actually obey it?

What has changed already

Since April, Statutory Sick Pay has been payable from the first day of sickness rather than the fourth. The old minimum earnings threshold has also been removed. This matters most to low-paid workers, including many people in outsourced services, agency work and jobs with short or irregular hours.

Many Barnet Council employees have contractual sick pay which is better than Statutory Sick Pay. The new law does not give employers an excuse to cut better contractual arrangements. It sets a legal minimum, not a target.

Paternity leave and unpaid parental leave have also become rights from the first day of employment. The maximum protective award where an employer fails to consult properly over collective redundancies has doubled from 90 to 180 days’ pay.

Employers must now keep adequate records of annual leave and holiday pay for six years. That is especially relevant in Barnet, where UNISON is still challenging the Council over years of holiday pay which failed to include regular overtime. Employers have spent far too long acting as though poor records are the worker’s problem. They are not.

The Fair Work Agency has also been established, with powers covering areas including holiday pay and Statutory Sick Pay. We will judge it by what it delivers, not by the name on the door.

What is still to come

More changes are due later this year. These include electronic or workplace voting in statutory trade union ballots, stronger union access rights, better protection for union representatives and a new duty on employers to tell workers about their right to join a trade union.

 There are also stronger duties planned to prevent sexual harassment, including harassment by third parties such as customers, clients or service users.

From January 2027, the qualifying period for ordinary unfair dismissal is due to fall from two years to six months. That is an improvement, but it is not the day-one protection that was originally promised. Fire and rehire protections are also due in January 2027.

Other changes, including rights to guaranteed hours, reasonable notice of shifts, payment when shifts are cancelled, stronger flexible working rights and wider bereavement leave, are expected during 2027. Much of the detail is still being worked through.

Rights on paper are not enough

The Act contains important gains. Trade unions campaigned for them, and workers will benefit. But no law enforces itself.

Some employers will update their policies properly. Others will drag their feet, misunderstand the law or quietly hope workers do not know what has changed. We have seen that before with holiday pay, equal pay, maternity rights and reasonable adjustments.

That is why union organisation still matters. A legal right is stronger when workers know about it, keep records and act together when an employer gets it wrong.

Over the coming months, Barnet UNISON will continue checking employer policies and challenging anything which falls short. If you believe your sick pay, family leave, holiday pay or other rights are not being applied correctly, speak to your workplace rep or contact the branch.

The Employment Rights Act is progress. Our job is to make sure the words become real rights at work.

best wishes

John Burgess
Branch Secretary
Barnet UNISON

Weekly Blog – Extreme weather is here to stay

Anti - Racism, Austerity, Climate Change, Health and Safety, Local, Membership, News, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

Weekly Blog – Extreme weather is here to stay

Extreme weather is no longer something employers can treat as an occasional problem. Hotter summers, sudden downpours, strong winds and freezing conditions are affecting how our members work.

This week, Barnet UNISON has been working with members who spend much of their working day outside. The message from them is simple: employers need to plan properly before the weather becomes dangerous.

Working outside in extreme heat

During the recent extreme temperatures, we raised the impact on members working outdoors. We negotiated changes to working patterns to reduce the time staff were exposed to the worst of the heat.

That was important, but it cannot be the end of the matter.

We have now started a survey with the members affected. We want to understand what worked, what did not work and what needs to change before the next period of extreme weather.

Employers should not wait until temperatures are already at dangerous levels before deciding what to do. There should be clear plans covering working hours, rest breaks, access to drinking water, shade, suitable clothing, sunscreen and the physical demands being placed on staff.

Managers also need to recognise that workers are not all affected in the same way. Age, health conditions, medication, pregnancy and the type of work being carried out can all make a difference.

Telling staff to “take care” is not a plan.

What happened in your workplace?

I also want to hear from members across the whole branch.

What was it like in your workplace during the hot weather? Did your building stay cool enough to work in? Were windows sealed shut? Did the air conditioning work? Were fans provided? Were you able to take extra breaks or move to a cooler area?

For members working in schools, care settings, kitchens, depots, offices, vehicles and people’s homes, the problems will be different. Some workplaces may have handled the situation well. Others may have carried on as if nothing unusual was happening.

We need to know both.

Please email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk and tell us what happened. Let us know what your employer or manager did, what worked and what improvements you think should be put in place.

You do not need to write a long statement. A few sentences explaining what happened will help us build a proper picture across Barnet.

Planning for the next emergency

Extreme weather is here to stay. That includes heat, cold, flooding, snow and storms.

Barnet UNISON will continue pressing employers to consult staff and trade unions before the next emergency arrives. Workplace arrangements should be agreed in advance, communicated properly and applied consistently.

Members should not have to argue for basic protections while they are already working in unsafe or unbearable conditions.

We have made progress with the members working outside, and that happened because they spoke up and worked together. Now we need to hear from the rest of the branch.

Please contact us. Your experience can help us secure better arrangements for everyone.

best wishes

John Burgess
Branch Secretary
Barnet UNISON

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — 17 JULY 2026 BARNET HOUSING AND CARE WORKERS MOVE TOWARDS STRIKE BALLOTS

Anti - Racism, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Housing, Local, National, News, Pensions, Repairs, Solidarity, TBG Flex, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign, Your Choice Barnet

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — 17 JULY 2026

BARNET HOUSING AND CARE WORKERS MOVE TOWARDS STRIKE BALLOTS

Barnet Homes and Your Choice Barnet workers say “Enough is Enough” after TBG refuses to negotiate on pay, terms and pensions.

Barnet UNISON is preparing to request two separate formal industrial action ballots for members working in Barnet Homes and Your Choice Barnet, following a Special JNCC meeting with The Barnet Group today.

UNISON reported the results of two separate consultative ballots:

  • 97% of Your Choice Barnet members voted for industrial action
  • 100% of Barnet Homes members voted for industrial action

Despite these results, The Barnet Group confirmed at the meeting that it was not willing to negotiate on any part of UNISON’s claims.

The claims cover:

  • a proper pay increase, including a £15-an-hour minimum
  • improved terms and conditions
  • movement towards council-standard terms
  • access to the Local Government Pension Scheme

Barnet UNISON formally registered a failure to agree at the Special JNCC and advised TBG that the branch will now seek approval for separate statutory industrial action ballots for housing workers and care workers.

A Barnet Homes worker said:

“We deliver council housing services, but we are not treated like council workers. We work longer hours, receive worse terms and have no access to LGPS. Members have had enough of being told there is never any money for us.”

A Your Choice Barnet care worker said:

“We support vulnerable adults every day, often under huge physical and emotional pressure. Then we go home worrying about rent, food and bills. We are doing essential work in one of the most expensive cities in the world, but we are still treated as second-class.”

Helen Davies, Barnet UNISON Branch Chair and UNISON SGE representative for London, said:

“These ballot results send a powerful message. Housing and care workers are angry, organised and no longer prepared to accept second-class treatment. TBG has rejected every part of the claim and has now refused to negotiate, even after hearing that members are ready to take action. Enough is enough. Barnet Council owns The Barnet Group and cannot stand back while the workers delivering its services are treated this way.”

Barnet UNISON is calling on The Barnet Group and the London Borough of Barnet to return to negotiations with a serious proposal before the dispute escalates further.

Notes to editors

  • The Barnet Group is wholly owned by the London Borough of Barnet.
  • Barnet Homes provides housing services.
  • Your Choice Barnet provides adult social care services.
  • The consultative ballots were separate from the formal statutory industrial action ballots now being prepared.
  • Industrial action has not yet been authorised or called.

Media enquiries: contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — JULY 2026 BARNET COUNCIL WORKERS UNDERPAID FOR TWELVE YEARS — AND OFFERED A FRACTION OF WHAT THEY ARE OWED

Austerity, Local, News, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — JULY 2026

BARNET COUNCIL WORKERS UNDERPAID FOR TWELVE YEARS — AND OFFERED A FRACTION OF WHAT THEY ARE OWED

Barnet UNISON publishes the council’s offer and begins member consultation — as depot workers demand a strike ballot

Barnet UNISON is today publishing details of a formal settlement offer from the London Borough of Barnet following twelve years of holiday pay underpayments affecting council workers across waste and recycling, street cleansing, grounds maintenance, libraries, social care and other services.

The offer — six months’ backdated pay at 8.33% of non-contractual overtime — has been condemned by Barnet UNISON as wholly inadequate. The union is now consulting all affected members over the next four – six weeks.

What the offer means in real money

The law — confirmed at Supreme Court level — requires that regular non-contractual overtime is factored into holiday pay calculations. It was not, for twelve years. The table below shows what the council’s offer means for two typical depot roles, compared to what workers are actually owed on the same calculation:

 

Role Owed (12 years) Council offer (6 months)
Loader (Grade B) approx. £9,600 approx. £400
Driver (Grade F) approx. £14,400 approx. £600

(These figures are based on real overtime earnings for two depot roles and are given as examples only. Individual amounts will vary depending on how much overtime was worked over the twelve years. For some members it will be less — for others it could be considerably more.)

On the council’s own methodology, the full twelve-year liability runs to approximately £6 million. The council is offering £250,000 — shared across all affected Council staff.

That is roughly 4p for every £1 owed.

How it came to light

The council’s HR department did not raise this as an error. HR meets with Barnet UNISON at least once a week. Not once in twelve years did it acknowledge that holiday pay was being calculated incorrectly.

The issue came to light in April 2025 when members working in the depots noticed new payments on their payslips after Liberata took over the payroll contract from Capita and came to UNISON asking what they were. Low-paid workers reading their own payslips is what finally brought twelve years of underpayments to the surface.

Capita — the contractor at the centre of this failure

Capita ran the council’s payroll from October 2013 to 31 March 2025 — throughout the entire period the underpayment occurred and went uncorrected. The moment Liberata replaced Capita, the correct calculation began.

 

The Capita record at Barnet — by the numbers

•      Total paid to Capita since 2013: approximately £670 million — around £246 million more than the original contract value of £424 million (source: published council supplier payment data, analysed by independent researcher John Dix / Mr Reasonable)

•      Final year with most services returned in-house: Barnet still paid Capita £24 million — £2 million per month — for just three remaining services

•      A Capita employee stole £2,063,972 through fictitious compulsory purchase order payments. He was jailed for five years

•      Grant Thornton review (Project Rose) found: no budgetary controls, no basic bank detail checks, inexperienced managers handling large sums, no written financial procedures. The review cost up to £500,000 of public money

•      Around 170 council workers had pension contributions deducted from their wages by Capita but were never enrolled into the pension scheme

•      Barnet became the first public service pension scheme in the country to be fined by the Pensions Regulator — on Capita’s watch

•      Capita required to repay the council £4.12 million for delivery failures under the contract

The One Barnet programme was awarded by the previous Conservative administration in 2013 and described at the time as a model for efficient public services. The Guardian later described it as a “disastrous ideological outsourcing spending spree” that handed an array of local services to Capita. The promised savings never materialised. The bills kept growing.

The previous Conservative administration initially refused to publish the Grant Thornton report into the fraud, claiming it was not in the public interest. It was eventually published quietly on the council website with no announcement.

The offer — and the questions it raises

The council has cited severe financial pressure and described the payment as a “gesture of goodwill.” Barnet UNISON does not accept that framing. This is not a gesture of goodwill. It is money workers earned and were legally entitled to. The council’s own financial difficulties do not diminish what is owed.

They do, however, raise a direct question: has the council formally approached Capita about its financial responsibility for a payroll failure that persisted for twelve years under its management? If the council is under financial pressure, the answer is to pursue the contractor that failed — not to offer workers as little as possible.

The council also noted in its formal offer that it is “out of time” to make a backdated payment — yet simultaneously offered a backdated payment. Barnet UNISON has taken note of that contradiction.

What happens next

Barnet UNISON is today launching a four-week consultation of all affected members. If you have worked regular overtime at any point in the last twelve years, this may affect you. Members are encouraged to read the full details and contact the branch with any questions.

Barnet UNISON can confirm that one group of workers — depot staff in waste, recycling, street cleansing and grounds maintenance — have already made clear they regard this offer as wholly unacceptable and have demanded that UNISON ballot them for industrial action if the offer is not substantially improved.

If the consultation produces a strong vote to reject, Barnet UNISON will seek an urgent meeting with the Chief Executive to press for a substantially improved offer. If the employer refuses to negotiate further, Barnet UNISON will contact UNISON HQ with a view to proceeding to a formal, lawful strike ballot.

John Burgess, Branch Secretary, Barnet UNISON

This is what outsourcing looks like when it goes wrong and nobody is held to account. Capita ran Barnet’s payroll for twelve years. In that time, they failed to calculate holiday pay correctly, failed to enrol workers into their pensions properly, presided over a £2 million fraud, and walked away with the best part of £670 million of public money — around £246 million more than the contract was worth. The council either could not or would not hold them to account. And now, when the workers who were underpaid throughout all of that ask for what they are owed, the employer says there is no money.

 

There is always money when it comes to paying private contractors. There was apparently no money when it came to paying the people who empty the bins, clean the streets and keep this borough running.

 

This is a grave injustice. It is a clear example of how outsourcing damages workers and how weak this council was at holding Capita to account. We are consulting our members. Depot workers have already told us they want a ballot. We will be listening to what all of our members say — and we will act on it.

Get in touch

If you are an affected member and have questions about this offer, contact Barnet UNISON at contactus@barnetunison.org.uk or visit barnetunison.me.uk

 

Notes to Editors

Barnet UNISON represents approximately 3,000 workers employed by the London Borough of Barnet, The Barnet Group, Barnet Education and Learning Skills, and a range of contractors and associated employers. Members include street cleansing and waste workers, care workers, school support staff, social workers, council office staff and caretakers.

The legal obligation to include regular non-contractual overtime in holiday pay calculations arises from the Working Time Regulations 1998 and has been confirmed through a series of appellate decisions culminating in the Supreme Court judgment in Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland v Agnew [2023].

The £670 million total Capita payment figure is sourced from John Dix’s independent annual analysis of Barnet Council’s published supplier payment data, available at reasonablenewbarnet.blogspot.com. The original combined contract value over ten years was approximately £424 million (source: Grant Thornton Project Rose review, published September 2018). The figure of £670 million should be attributed to published supplier payment data rather than cited as an official council figure.

The Grant Thornton Project Rose review is publicly available on the Barnet Council website. Trishul Shah was convicted of fraud and jailed for five years.

The holiday pay calculation was corrected from 1 April 2025, coinciding with Liberata taking over the payroll function from Capita.

Example figures (Loader approx. £400 offer / approx. £9,600 owed; Driver approx. £600 offer / approx. £14,400 owed) are illustrative, based on real overtime earnings data for those roles. Individual amounts will vary.

Media enquiries: contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

BARNET COUNCIL QUIETLY HALVED ITS PASSENGER ASSISTANT WORKFORCE — AND NEVER TOLD THE UNION

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BARNET COUNCIL QUIETLY HALVED ITS PASSENGER ASSISTANT WORKFORCE — AND NEVER TOLD THE UNION

Trade union demands answers on outsourcing by stealth and the employment standards of workers supporting children with complex SEN needs

Barnet UNISON has formally challenged London Borough of Barnet and BELS management over the steady dismantling of the directly employed Passenger Assistant workforce — the staff who accompany children with special educational needs on school transport routes across the borough every day.

The directly employed workforce has been cut from approximately 85 in January 2021 to 42 today — a reduction of more than 50%. There are now 61 externally commissioned Passenger Assistants working on regular routes, outnumbering directly employed council staff. The council’s own documents confirm that vacancies have not been routinely refilled and that commissioned workers are used to meet continuing demand. No formal outsourcing exercise took place. No trade union consultation happened. No equality impact assessment was carried out.

Outsourcing in all but name

UNISON’s formal response — submitted to the JNCG chaired by the Chief Executive on 16 June 2026 — sets out that the council has effectively outsourced a public service through attrition: allowing permanent posts to disappear and replacing them with externally commissioned workers, without ever putting that decision to elected members as a workforce question or consulting the trade union.

A Cabinet report in May 2025 approved an external provider framework worth up to £1 million per year — £8 million over eight years. The same report records “None” under Consultation. The council is now saying that restoring direct employment would cost £225,000 per year more than the current model. That comparison has never been presented to Cabinet.

UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said: “The council hasn’t formally outsourced this service — it’s just stopped replacing people when they leave and handed the work to external providers instead. The outcome is the same. You’ve gone from 85 directly employed staff to 42, with 61 commissioned workers on regular routes doing the same job. No consultation, no equality assessment, no transparency. We need a straight answer: does the council intend to keep an in-house Passenger Assistant service or doesn’t it?”

Workers’ terms and conditions unknown

UNISON does not know what pay, sick pay, pension provision or continuity protections apply to the 61 commissioned Passenger Assistants currently working on regular routes. At the JNCG on 15 June, management confirmed they could not say what sick pay arrangements applied to commissioned workers.

For Passenger Assistants working daily with children who have complex health conditions and, in some cases, compromised immune systems, that is a direct health and safety concern. Workers without occupational sick pay are more likely to come in when unwell.

UNISON has also raised serious questions about health and safety incident reporting. Three separate reporting channels exist across the split management structure — none of them currently provides a complete picture of incidents involving Passenger Escorts on PTS routes. Management acknowledged at the JNCG that near misses are likely under-reported.

The Trade Union Engagement Framework, signed by the Chief Executive in December 2024, commits the council to sharing information with trade unions on service reviews and outsourcing matters, consulting on decisions affecting staffing, and giving serious consideration to keeping services in-house. UNISON has identified seven specific provisions that have not been honoured in this case. None of them were disputed at the JNCG.

A conflict of interest at the heart of the service

UNISON has also raised a structural concern about BELS’s role in the service. BELS simultaneously decides which routes are needed, manages contracts with external Passenger Assistant providers, and line-manages the directly employed LBB Passenger Assistants whose work the external contracts are displacing. UNISON has asked whether that arrangement has ever been subject to a formal governance review.

John Burgess added: “These are some of Barnet’s most vulnerable children. They build relationships with their Passenger Escorts over years. The council cannot say these workers are part of a commissioned model and then refuse to account for the employment standards that apply to them. We don’t know if they’re being paid the London Living Wage. We don’t know if they have sick pay. We don’t know what happens to a child’s regular escort if that worker isn’t available. That is not good enough.”

UNISON has set a 20-working day deadline for written responses. If those responses are not received, UNISON has indicated it will treat the matter as a formal failure to agree and will pursue the available routes.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Barnet UNISON represents approximately 3,000 members across the London Borough of Barnet, including employees of the council itself, its local authority trading companies (The Barnet Group and Barnet Education and Learning Services), schools, FE colleges, care services, environmental services, depots, and a range of contractors and outsourced providers.

The Passenger Transport Service provides school transport for children with special educational needs across 133 routes in Barnet.

The Trade Union Engagement Framework was signed by the Chief Executive of London Borough of Barnet in December 2024.

UNISON is separately pursuing an equal pay claim on behalf of more than 700 members against LBB, The Barnet Group, and BELS, with a preliminary Employment Tribunal hearing listed for September 2026.

Contact: Barnet UNISON — contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

 

Are you paying the right UNISON subscription?

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Are you paying the right UNISON subscription?

One of the most common — and most easily fixed — membership problems we see is members paying the wrong subscription rate. With more people now joining online directly rather than through their employer’s payroll, your subscription doesn’t automatically go up when your pay does. That means many members are unknowingly undersubscribed.

This matters. UNISON’s rules are clear: your subscription must reflect what you actually earn. If it doesn’t, it can affect your access to representation and legal support when you need it most. That’s not a risk worth taking.

How subscriptions work

Your UNISON subscription is based on your annual salary. It’s calculated as a percentage of your earnings, so the more you earn, the more you pay — but the rates are genuinely affordable. Here’s what you should currently be paying:

Annual salary Monthly subscription
Up to £2,000 £1.30
£2,001 – £5,000 £3.50
£5,001 – £8,000 £5.30
£8,001 – £11,000 £6.60
£11,001 – £14,000 £7.85
£14,001 – £17,000 £9.70
£17,001 – £20,000 £11.50
£20,001 – £25,000 £14.00
£25,001 – £30,000 £17.25
£30,001 – £35,000 £20.30
Over £35,000 £22.50

Students and qualifying apprentices pay just £10 a year. Northern Ireland members have slightly different rates — contact the branch if that applies to you.

You can also claim tax relief on 70% of your subscription, which reduces the real cost further.

Check your subscription now

If you’ve had a pay rise — even a small one — check whether you’ve moved into a higher band. If you joined online and pay by direct debit, your rate won’t update automatically. You need to do it yourself.

You can update your details through My UNISON at unison.org.uk/my-unison or contact us at the branch and we’ll help you sort it.

Why it matters

UNISON’s support — whether that’s representation in a disciplinary, backing for a grievance, legal advice, or the equal pay work we’re doing right now — is only available to members who are in good standing. Paying the correct subscription is the foundation of that. It’s also how we fund the work: campaigns, organising, negotiations, and casework all depend on members being properly subscribed.

If you’re not sure what you’re paying or whether it’s right, get in touch. It takes five minutes to check and fix.

Contact Barnet UNISON: 0208 359 2088 or email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

 

 

UNISON Members in The Barnet Group Vote Yes

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Barnet Homes staff voted 100% and Your Choice Barnet staff voted 97% to move towards an industrial ballot to achieve their aim of having Council terms and conditions restored.

The turnouts mean that they would have confidently beaten the thresholds required by the anti-trade union laws. No longer are these workers prepared to carry out 1st class Council services on 2nd class pay.

The only reason for the existence of Local Authority Trading Companies is for Councils to sidestep Council terms and conditions. They often cite the cost of the pension scheme to the employer. Yet it is senior managers who cost the most in the pension scheme and so we wonder “if it is such a good idea and so good for the Council then instead of forcing the lowest paid into even more inferior terms and conditions, why don’t senior managers lead by example and create one for themselves?”

Barnet UNISON has requested a Special JNCC to impress on The Barnet Group the need to negotiate movement on the demands from the workforce.

This news comes at a time when the Tribunal has ruled that the Equal Pay Claim against The Barnet Group and BELS can proceed to be heard.

We will feedback when we have more developments.

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