Your Choice Barnet (YCB) Propose a10% Wage Cut For All!

Your Choice Barnet (YCB) Propose a10% Wage Cut For All!

In a meeting today this is what the unions were told was the leading suggestion for YCB to remain financially viable.

We were told that the restructuring and docking of enhancements for YCB staff had already provided YCB with approx £1million savings last year. Some staff have already seen their pay reduce by around 20% already.

However, in spite of being told last year that a cut to the costs of YCB of £1million was needed and has been achieved, we are now informed YCB have proposed another cut in order to save another £400K.

YCB say this can be done by everyone (except senior managers) taking a 10% wage cut.

YCB propose to take care workers out of National Pay Bargaining and so any future Local Government pay increases will not be passed on to YCB staff. Even Capita and NSL (two private contractors) have not announced they will be coming out of National Pay Bargaining. However we were informed Capita was one of the consultancy companies used to carry out the benchmarking exercise with YCB.

YCB though is wholly owned by London Borough of Barnet.

This is yet another example of how One Barnet or a Commissioning Council outsources “difficult” decisions” to private contractors.

The obvious 10% cut is bad enough but there are other factors which make this greater than 10%.

Barnet UNISON have sent an email to YCB requesting further details as there is a lot they have not explained. Our fears are the cut could be as high as 19%.

Even without a cut UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said this about the ‘cost of living crisis’ last week:

“For the majority prices are rising faster than wages and that is bad news for the low paid, who spend a greater proportion of their cash on the basics. Our members, who are keeping public services going through difficult times, have seen the value of their pay drop by between 14% and 18%. Where’s the incentive for them?”

Barnet UNISON has checked the Your Choice Barnet (YCB) web site http://www.yourchoicebarnet.org/about-us/our-board/board-meetings/ and noticed that YCB are no longer advertising Board meetings or printing agenda or minutes.

The Board meeting which made this decision to cut the pay did so in secret.

Barnet UNISON asked if they would be consulting parents/carers/services users.

YCB said no, but added they would inform them.

YCB have published the consultation on their website here http://www.thebarnetgroup.org/news/2014/01/your-choice-barnet-salary-restructure-consultation/

Barnet UNISON have organised an evening meeting with Your Choice & Fremantle care workers on Tuesday 4 Feb in Greek Cypriot centre, North Finchley from 6pm.

 

“Is ‘Low pay, poor terms & conditions’ good for social care services in Barnet?”

“Is ‘Low pay, poor terms & conditions’ good for social care services in Barnet?”

In the space of seven days two groups of social care workers are facing yet more attacks on their terms & conditions. Both sets of care workers used to work for Barnet Council.

Your Choice Barnet is the Local Authority Trading Company which took over the Council provision of support services to Adults with a Learning Disability and Adults with a Physical Disability. It is has a massive hole in its budget (£1million+) and predictably is looking to make staff pay for the crisis. This crisis is entirely of London Borough of Barnet’s making as it is the sole owner of the Company and funds £5.3million of the services provided out of a total budget of £5.6million.

The unions have been invited to a meeting this Thursday 30th January morning to be given the news about the benchmarking exercise. Consultation begins that morning and management’s current position is that it will be for 45 days.

Similarly Fremantle ex-Barnet staff are facing a similar cut to their wages. Having lost some 30% on their terms and conditions 2008, the Fremantle Trust is saying they need to take the scythe to their wages some more and cut their wages by an average of 20-25%! If implemented most of Fremantle care staff will be earning below the London Living wage. Even Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, promotes the idea of no Londoners earning below this threshold.

There is a crisis in care and the working conditions of staff in this sector. We want Fremantle and Your Choice Barnet workers to know they can work in this sector and make a living.

UNISON has organised a meeting on Tuesday 4 February at 6 pm at the Greek Cypriot Centre, Britannia Road N12 9RU, North Finchley for all of our members who work for Fremantle & Your Choice Barnet

Fremantle Trust propose big cuts to pay for care workers

Over the weekend a number of our members have contacted our branch about a letter from Fremantle which detailed their rationale proposing to make cuts of between 26% – 13 % to some of the lowest paid workers in our community.

You can view the details of the proposals here

It is clear in the letter that Fremantle are looking to carry out consultation quickly.

UNISON has responded by organising a UNISON meeting on Tuesday 4 February at 6 pm at the Greek Cypriot Centre, Britannia Road N12 9RU, North Finchley for all of our Fremantle members on

Barnet UNISON submits London Living Wage proposal to Fremantle Trust

Last June 2013 Fremantle signed a ten year contract with Barnet Council

There was some concern raised about the award here and here however the Council decided a deal was a deal and signed the contract.

Last week Richard Cornelius (Leader of Barnet Council), spoke about the decision of Barnet Council to apply a London Living Wage (LLW) rate of £8.80 per hour for all employees. He added:

“It is something we want to be part of,” he told The Press. “People should be paid enough to live on if they are going to work for us. It is something we have aspired to do for a long time.”

Barnet UNISON wholeheartedly agrees with the phrase “People should be paid enough to live on” in particular something needs to be done to address the relentless attack on the morale and well being of care workers. They have a trusted & critical role in the safe provision of care to those in need. They are some of the lowest paid workers in our society and feeling the cost of living crisis more than most.

Today Barnet UNISON submitted a London Living Wage proposal to Fremantle Trust to view our letter click here.

This is part of our wider campaign to write to all contractors delivering services on behalf of Barnet Council.

Barnet UNISON submits London Living Wage proposal to NSL.

NSL is a private parking contractor delivering parking enforcement in Barnet.

Earlier this month UNISON held a meeting with NSL to discuss our LLW proposal and other terms & conditions issues.  UNISON said that in less than 18 months after transfer from the Council to NSL, almost 66% of staff had left.

At the meeting UNISON informed NSL that the majority of their members are now on NSL terms & conditions approximately 33% less than the ex Barnet staff who transferred over in May 2012.

UNISON members on NSL terms & condition are deeply unhappy with low pay and trying to keep up with the ever increasing cost of living. The only way members can try to deal with low pay is to try and get overtime, but to get overtime you need to demonstrate you issue enough parking tickets. Both NSL and Barnet Council will claim that there are no parking targets…..but the fact is if you don’t issue a lot of tickets on your regular shift you are highly unlikely to get overtime. You work it out….!

NSL told UNISON we had to go back to the Council for the decision as to whether NSL are allowed to pay the LLW.

Last week Richard Cornelius (Leader of Barnet Council), spoke about the decision of Barnet Council to apply a London Living Wage (LLW) rate of £8.80 per hour for all employees. He added:

“It is something we want to be part of,” he told The Press. “People should be paid enough to live on if they are going to work for us. It is something we have aspired to do for a long time.”

We contacted the Council and they said they would come back to us.

 

We are waiting……..

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