Category: Local

“Our severely disabled son has benefited greatly from the commitment and expertise of Day Centre staff (now employed by YCB) over two decades. It is scandalous that they should be rewarded with savage pay cuts. The impact will be not only on their own livelihoods but also on the service users, who rely on them for enhancing their own quality of life.Their skill and dedication ought to be properly recognised, and we offer them our unreserved support.”

Janet and Tony Solomons

Parents / Carers / CADDSS member

“As a Parent that has seen the loss in recent months of irreplaceable high quality care workers, I whole heartedly support the proposed strike action of YCB care workers, they deserve better, and this  wage cut is unacceptable on any terms.

Lets hope this strike stops the decline in the quality of service provision we have witnessed in Barnet since the launch of Your Choice Barnet.”

Yours sincerely,

Mrs Ida Sullivan.

Parent of Susan Sullivan (Community Space  Edgware )

The following are quotes from Your Choice Barnet Care workers who have had their pay cut by a minimum of 9.5%.

Our members completed an indicative ballot on the pay cut imposed by

Your Choice Barnet in which they have voted by 97% to reject the cut.

We have formally submitted a strike ballot to UNISON

On Tuesday 8 April YCB care workers will be demonstrating outside Hendon Town Hall from 6 pm to 7.30 pm.

Quotes

“I feel angry that YCB are allowed to do what they have done in reducing my pay by 9.5% it makes me feel worthless”

“I am worried about the safety of service users”

“So many agency staff working at our service the workload on permanent staff is increasing all the time”

“Barnet Council first pushed us out to Your Choice Barnet, now cutting our pay by 9.5%”

“What’s next for us Care Workers, and who’s to say these cuts will not be made to our service users?”

“1% cut to Council tax but look what that does to services.”

“My job gets increasingly more stressful and I am rewarded with a 9.5% pay cut. The future of services for people with profound disabilities in Barnet is being threatened.”

“This isn’t about now, it isn’t about our wages, it isn’t about our services, its about the vulnerable people we care for”

“This is a fight against forces politically motivated and set on a course to dismantle all that we have worked for”

“It’s a fight that we have to fight and one that we must fight to win”

“We need jobs for our family’s bills and to live; we came in to help clients and now we need help”

“I, in my role, and workplace feel a lot more under pressure, stressed, have much more responsibility, a higher workload”

“I feel angry, annoyed and not appreciated and utterly dismayed at this appalling situation and where the service users will reap the effects of this.”

“Saturdays are literally a ‘recovery day’ for me now, & many other staff”

“I am just so very tired & drained, from the level of work & pressure I am now under during the week in my workplace.”

“Being forced to take a 9.5% pay cut has made me feel not valued.”

“I have worked for Barnet for 14 years and have been committed to the service users and the service.”

“Being out of pocket £2,000 a year means not even being able to afford a holiday break for me and my family and having to scrimp even more.”

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. Please sign this petition http://ow.ly/voFj6

Your Choice Barnet care workers UPDATE

Across the number of UK stories of care workers refusing to take cuts to pay and terms & conditions is on the increase as are reports of Care Providers failing to deliver quality services.

It isn’t rocket science, ongoing ‘Austerity Cuts’ to social care is already having an impact for those in need of care services. The ‘Austerity Cuts’ to social care are being passed down to Care providers, service users, staff via the Commissioning model.  In Barnet UNISON Your Choice Care Workers have decided they have had enough. They completed an indicative ballot on the pay cut imposed by Your Choice Barnet in which they have voted by 97% to reject the cut. We are now processing a formal request for a strike ballot and understand GMB members are going to do the same.

You can help by

1. Signing this petition http://ow.ly/voFj6

2. Join Your Choice Barnet Care Workers on Tuesday 8 April outside Hendon Town Hall between 6 – 7.30 pm

On Thursday 10 April 2014, in Training room 5 our branch has secured the services of Glyn Jenkins UNISON National Head of Pensions. Glyn has been on all the committees groups setting up the 2014 scheme including joint technical group working on the draft regulations.

Glyn will be spending most of the day here and is offering 15 minute appointments all to be booked via our office.

To book a 15 minute appointment with Glyn please contact the branch on 0208 359 2088 or email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

We will be holding a general presentation over the lunchtime.

To view Flyer click here

TEN REASONS WHY WE OPPOSE ATTACKS ON YOUR CHOICE BARNET CARE WORKERS

1. Our Your Choice Barnet members should not be asked to pay for an outsourcing failure.

2. Your Choice Barnet is an outsourcing project dreamed up by highly paid consultants paid for by tax payer’s money

3. If One Barnet outsourcing is so successful and is delivering savings to protect frontline services then why are Your Choice Barnet care workers being asked to take a minimum 9.5% cut in their pay?

4. Your Choice Barnet has failed to deliver any new business growth two years after it was first created.

5. Your Choice Barnet last year needed a £1 million bail out of taxpayers’ money from Barnet Homes requiring a 6% interest repayment. Both companies are 100% owned by Barnet Council.

6. Less than nine months after receipt of a £1million loan Your Choice Barnet is looking to cut the staff bill by a further £400,000 by 1 April 2014.

7. Our members should not have their basic pay cut by 9.5% and come out of national pay bargaining just because this One Barnet outsourcing project is failing.

8. Barnet UNISON is opposed to the proposed 9.5% cut to staff salaries from 1st April 2014 and has grave concerns that there is a high probability that YCB will be coming back with further cuts for their staff.

9. Barnet UNISON is carrying out an indicative ballot of our members working for Your Choice Barnet and recommending to our members to reject this cut and seeking authorisation of an official strike ballot.

10. Barnet UNISON believes the proposed cuts will compromise the health, safety and wellbeing of service users.