Category: News
Non UNISON news
UNISON National Pay strike ballot looks like this.
Find out more about the Pay campaign by joining Barnet UNISON National Pay meeting Tuesday 23 May 6.30- 7.30 pm.
To REGISTER click on this link below.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/barnet-unison-pay-branch-meeting-tickets-629084487637
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Barnet UNISON National Pay newsletter
Last year, in the worst Cost of Living Crisis in 75 years, hundreds of thousands of workers – BT workers, teachers, lecturers, lawyers, nurses, ambulance workers, junior doctors, Border Force workers, bus drivers, rail workers, postal workers, tube workers, cleaners, admin call centre workers – all said the same thing:
“enough is enough!”
They followed the advice of their trade unions and voted YES for strike action on Pay.
2022 saw the biggest increase in strikes in a generation and the reason was the same for all workers: the system is broken. Most workers can no longer afford to live. In UNISON many of our members are low paid and are unable to survive on poverty pay. We hear so many stories of families where parents are missing meals to feed their children, where families are unable to heat their homes and where increasing numbers of members are now regularly using food banks.
Many members are trying to cope by having more than one job.
The sad and brutal fact is that every public sector worker is now working one day a week for FREE!
Instead of the Government putting money in the hands of the workers, workers are donating their hard work one day a week for FREE!
You can view our latest pay newsletter here
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Former Barnet Council run Kosher Kitchen Service is closed without notice.
Barnet UNISON is sad to report that the Kosher Kitchen catering service which after decades of providing school meals was closed on Friday 5 May 2023.
40 catering workers were asked to attend a meeting last Friday at short notice where they were informed that the service was closing today.
UNISON has been sent the HR1 form which sets out the details of the redundancy.
The reason given for issuing redundancy is “insolvency.”
In response to this news Barnet UNISON has asked Barnet Council to take back the Kosher Kitchen service in order that catering services to the schools can continue.
We are hearing news that many of the schools had no warning the service would close, and no one knows who will be providing school meals this week.
Our members are distraught they had no idea that their jobs were at risk. All 40 staff were told to sign on this week.
In the meantime, we are arranging urgent meetings with our members.
Barnet UNISON is clear that the Kosher Kitchen service must remain open in Barnet.
“The One Barnet/Easy Council mass outsourcing policy has failed the Kosher Kitchen Service. It has failed to ensure schools meals for the children who relied on it. This is a service with a long tradition of providing kosher meals for pupils. Barnet Council must step up and save this service to ensure the pupils at the schools have a reliable excellent service going forward.” John Burgess, Branch Secretary, Barnet UNISON
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Note to Editors: Contact details: Barnet UNISON on or 020 8359 2088 or email: John.Burgess@barnetunison.org.uk
Background:
The Kosher Kitchen Service was outsourced by Barnet Council in 2016 to ISS.
In 2021 and 2022, the Kosher Kitchen service including staff was TUPED to Signature Education.
On 1 March 2023 Signature Education TUPED the Kosher Kitchen service including staff to London Kosher Caterer.
The Kosher Kitchen Service used to provide a service for the following schools:
Hasmonean Primary School, Beis Yaakov Primary School, Pardes House Primary School, Menorah Primary School, Sacks Morasha Primary School, Rimon Primary School, Mathilda Marks Kennedy, Beit Shvidler Primary School, Nancy Reuben, Etz Chaim, IJDS, Menorah Foundation, Hasmonean High School MAT (2 schools), Kosher CPU.
Register Now : National Pay campaign meeting
Barnet UNISON National Pay Campaign meeting on Tuesday 23 May 6.30 – 7.30 pm
Click on this link to register for the meeting.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/barnet-unison-pay-branch-meeting-tickets-629084487637
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National Pay: Find out how much you really should be paid!
Whatever the politicians say, the cost of living is not going down, its going up. Which is why #UNISON is balloting schools and council workers for strike action for a real pay rise.
Look at the #UNISON pay calculator which shows what a Grade B worker needs to survive in the worst #CostOfLivingCrisis in 76 years Click on the UNISON link and follow instructions.
https://unisonpaycalculator.co.uk/
Here are some examples of Grade B workers in Barnet Council:
Gardener, Loader on Waste &Recycling, or Level 2 School Technician.
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17 days and still no payslips for depot workers
Barnet Council Street Scene workers have yet to receive their payslip for March 2023. The matter was immediately escalated to senior management before the Easter Break. However, 14 days into April there is no sign of the payslips. The worrying thing is that the Council seem powerless to do anything about it.
The problem is that the Council does not have a payroll service. They outsourced this service to Capita in 2013.
Some of our members were confused about the involvement of Capita because of the news that one contract with Capita ended on 31 March 2023. Unfortunately, the HR Payroll contract is a separate contract and will continue to be provided by Capita until 31 August 2024.
Section 8 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 states that “An employee has the right to be given by his employer, at or before the time at which any payment of wages or salary is made to him, a written itemised pay statement.”
Payslip Law 2019/2020 Section 4 of the payslip law states that employees have the right to receive payslips from their employers.
ACAS advise that an employer should send out a communication to their workforce explaining the reasons why the payslip wasn’t issued and when it will be sent.
Day 17 and no sign of a payslip and no communication to the depot workers as to why it has not been sent.
Barnet UNISON is against their employer the London Barnet Council.
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Barnet UNISON NEC nominations
Every two years UNISON holds NEC elections. NEC stands for National Executive Committee. This is the highest committee in UNISON and they’re responsible for setting out how UNISON is organising.
In this election members have a lot of votes for different groups of candidates. The turnout in these important elections is very poor which is why our branch is trying to encourage our members to take part in the democracy in our union.
What is the NEC?
The NEC is made up of representatives elected from all of UNISON’s regions and service groups, as well as seats for four Black members, two young members and two disabled members. It has the power to act on behalf of the union and is responsible for implementing UNISON policy and delivering on the union’s objectives and priorities.
UNISON’s rule book says we have to elect our NEC every two years.
When is the ballot?
The ballot opens on 17 April 2023 and runs until 19 May 2023. The results will be announced on 8 June 2023.
Click on link below to view the Barnet UNISON nominations for the NEC elections
https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023.04.03-A5-leaflet-NEC-elections.pdf
Vote Yes for Strike action on Pay
To view flyer Term Time Pay: What does it mean for school staff?
In 2018 UNISON lodged an employment tribunal claim against Greenwich Council on behalf of all term time paid staff. UNISON managed to negotiate an agreement which generated 5 years’ back dated payments plus a contribution to those in Council Pensions Schemes.
Term Time Pay (TTP) staff are paid using a formula that includes your annual leave entitlement. What UNISON discovered was that TTP staff were being underpaid. To put it simply not enough annual leave was being allocated to the TTP formula.
As a result of the Greenwich case claims began to be raised across the country.
In September 2019, Barnet UNISON lodged 52 TTP claims against 52 Barnet Schools and 3 contractors working for Barnet Council.
Over the last four years we have manged to secure back pay for 80% of our members in schools and contractors and we are hoping to complete the final 20% by the end of this year.
Why has Barnet UNISON written to Barnet Schools?
On 22 March 2023 we wrote to all Barnet Schools which implement the NJC National Pay Awards because part of last year’s claim included a permanent extra day’s annual leave. What this means is that the TTP formula will need to change to reflect the extra day’s annual leave entitlement.
We have asked each school to provide UNISON with the details of the new TTP formula. We need to check the formula is compliant otherwise there could be underpayments claims for our members. We need to be able to advise our members that they are on the correct pay.
In response to your questions if you think it helps this is the answer.
Why it’s going to take such a long time to get the back pay?
Because your school may choose not to respond to UNISON, or they may choose to delay the payment or find a way not to pay. If we can’t negotiate locally, we hand over to our lawyers and it can drag on for years in the courts. Once it is with our lawyers the branch has no control over the process.
What do UNISON members need to provide?
You will need to provide evidence for example payslips to show what you are being paid. You will also have to complete a case form where we will require more details about you.
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