FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Your Choice Barnet care workers now out for 3 days!

Barnet UNISON Press Release:  24 March 2015 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: YCB care workers now out for 3 days!

YCB made a cut of 9.5% of the workers’ wages in order to save £400,000. YCB has now offered the workforce £40,000 as a one-off payment. This is less than £400 per head of staff. Staff in Supported Living – the service area which attracted such a poor inspection rating are losing around £400 per month from this pay cut and loss of their weekend allowances and shift enhancements.

Our members gave this some consideration but were very underwhelmed by the offer.

Earlier today Radio Four listeners heard about the appalling practices adopted by

“It gives a breakdown of unpaid travel time for 44 members of staff in the Penarth branch for the week starting 22nd September 2014, and estimates they could be owed as much as £80,000 over three years.**

http://www.corporatewatch.org/care-company-mihomecare-mitie-staff-minimum-wage

What is happening in the care sector is exploitation of the worse kind on both the staff and those needing their services.

This is a direct result of privatisation of care services.

As a result of this story Councils will be responding to questions as to whether they use this provider and if so how have they been monitoring them.

On Wednesday 25 March Barnet care workers working for Your Choice Barnet (YCB) begin a series of three days of strike action in response to a 9.5% pay cut imposed by their employer last year.

The strikers are fighting the cut and what they see as a danger to the quality of future services.

Picket lines will run from 7.30am at:

Flower Lane Day Centre
41 Flower Lane
Barnet
London NW7 2JN 

Rosa Morrison Day Centre

83 Gloucester Road
Totteridge
Barnet
London EN5 1NA

UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said:

“Still Barnet Council is refusing to be a part of the negotiations on a business which it owns100%. We view this as neglectful with respect to the workforce and the service users.”

Notes to Editors.

Contact details: John Burgess Barnet UNISON on 07738389569 or 0208 359 2088 or email: john.burgess@barnetunison.org.uk

Background:

In February 2012 Barnet Council transferred Learning Disability and Physical and Sensory Impairment services for adults to a Local Authority Trading Company (LATC) called Your Choice Barnet (YCB). About 160 staff (145.6 Full Time Equivalents) in Adults services transferred to the LATC.

Following a restructure in 2013 and cuts to pay on shift allowances there are now only about 105 FTE working for YCB a 30% cut in staffing levels.

Links

1. CQC Report Supported Living inspection report here http://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-112848964

2. CQC report with highlights by Barnet UNISON here http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/Barnet%20Supported%20Living%20inspection%20report%202014%20UNISON.pdf

3. Winterbourne quote: “The complaints heard at both the first inquiry and this one testified not only to inadequate staffing levels, but poor leadership, recruitment and training. This led in turn to a declining professionalism and a tolerance of poor standards.” (Page 45, Report of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry February 2013 Executive summary).

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/213215/final-report.pdf

4. UNISON response to Consultation Paper 31 May 2013

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/Full%20UNISON%20response%20to%20YOUR%20CHOICE%20May%202013.pdf

5. UNISON response to Task and Finish Report 25 November 2013

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/UNISON%20response%20to%20Task%20and%20Finish%20Report.pdf

6. “I Found Myself Just Crying” – Your Choice Barnet

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/?q=node/1263

7. Why UNISON Your Choice Barnet Care Workers are taking strike action.

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/2015.01.15.%20YCB%20FLYER%20PUBLIC.pdf

8. UNISON Your Choice Barnet Care Workers “9 Point Flyer

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/2015.01.15.%20STRIKE%20YCB%20FLYER%20nine%20point.pdf

9. Support UNISON Your Choice Barnet Care Workers strike action video

http://youtu.be/9jVXn6_BcVY

10. The Capita £110million payment

http://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s21029/Appendix%20I%20-%20Capita%20Payments.pdf

11. Your Choice – in built pension burden creates artificial loss to justify pay cut http://lbbspending.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/nochoice.html

12. Sign Petition to Stop the ongoing destruction of services for adults with disabilities in Barnet

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-the-ongoing-destruction-of-services-for-adults-with-disabilities-in-barnet

 

IMPORTANT: TUPE outsourcing update

IMPORTANT: TUPE outsourcing update

Dear Colleagues

In response to requests for an update on the TUPE Commitments negotiations.

On 3 March 2015, in response to a counter proposal from Barnet Council, the trade unions requested an urgent meeting to try to reach an agreement; we are still waiting for a new date to try and reach an agreement with the Council.

In the interim please take some time to look at the 13 outstanding TUPE commitments which are not contained in the counter proposal from Barnet Council.

1. No staff on the contract will earn less than the London Living Wage.

2. No staff on the contract to be employed on zero hours contracts.

3. The new employer gives an undertaking not to offshore work and not to transfer jobs out of the Borough.

4. Any sub-contractor commissioned to run any of the services included in the contract will be required to adopt the same TUPE Transfer Commitments.

5. A guarantee that TUPE will last for the length of contract (the regulations do not specify a time period). This is essential to protect conditions of service, existing redundancy payments and early retirement provisions.

6. New starters will be on the same terms and conditions and the company will not operate a two-tier workforce.

7. New staff must have the option of remaining within or joining the Local Government Pension Scheme or Teachers’ Pension Scheme as appropriate.

8. Nationally agreed local government pay awards will be implemented in full unless otherwise agreed with the recognised trade unions, and for teachers they will adopt each annual School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (or Soulbury pay scales for those paid on this Soulbury) unless otherwise agreed with the recognised trade unions.

9. The job evaluation scheme in use at the point of transfer will be applied for the duration of the contract.

10. The current trade union recognition and facilities agreement must be maintained, unless changed by joint agreement, for the duration of the contract. This should cover new staff who must have equal opportunity to join a recognised trade union.

11. There will be no restrictions on the employment status of branch trade union officers in the representation of their members.

12. The new employer will be required to make a contribution (as set out in the Trade Union Facility Time Charging Mechanism in the One Barnet contracts) to the Council’s Corporate facility time budget and/or the schools’ traded service for TU facilities time to ensure transferred employees continue to receive support from trade union branches.

13. The Council must allocate adequate resources to fully and effectively monitor the employment and health & safety policies and practices of the contractor as an integral part of the performance management and reporting process.

Summary

The Trade Unions submitted 18 TUPE commitments and only 5 have been included in the counter proposal.

UNISON wants to ensure maximum protection and representation for any members who are transferred to another employer.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Care Workers to take strike action 25, 26, 27 March. 2015.

Barnet UNISON Press Release: 19 March 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Care Workers to take strike action 25, 26 27 March2015.

UNISON members working for Your Choice Barnet (YCB) have agreed to escalate their strike action next week to three days, 25, 26 27 March.

This will make a total of 11 days of strike action since the dispute began. This is in a bid to reverse the harsh 9.5% pay cut imposed on them by their employer.

Tonight UNISON have submitted a report to the Adults & Safeguarding Committee urging them to end the dispute and restore stability for the service.

Our report is in response to a recently published damming inspection report by Care Quality Commission (CQC) which is being discussed at the Committee this evening.

UNISON report makes two simple recommendations:

1. Bring YCB services back in-house and secure properly funded and safe services for service users.

2. Failing bringing the services back in-house; enter negotiations with YCB to discuss a more sensible funding regime which will secure improved staff morale, a more permanent, committed and better trained workforce.

UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said: “Our report vindicates everything we said before the service was outsourced simply ‘you can’t make a profit out of social care without implications for service delivery.’ In this case we are talking about adults with disabilities some of whom have no one to speak for them. The CQC report was one element of YCB service, but it was the first area which was decimated by redundancies which resulted in an increase use of agency staff”

Details of Picket Line details for 25, 26 27 March.

1. Flower Lane Day Centre
41 Flower Lane
Barnet
London NW7 2JN

 

2. Rosa Morrison Day Centre

83 Gloucester Road
Totteridge
Barnet
London EN5 1NA

The start times are 7.30am to 3.30 pm

Notes to Editors.

Contact details: John Burgess Barnet UNISON on 07738389569 or 0208 359 2088 or email: john.burgess@barnetunison.org.uk

Background:

In February 2012 Barnet Council transferred Learning Disability and Physical and Sensory Impairment services for adults to a Local Authority Trading Company (LATC) called Your Choice Barnet (YCB). About 160 staff (145.6 Full Time Equivalents) in Adults services transferred to the LATC.

Following a restructure in 2013 and cuts to pay on shift allowances there are now only about 105 FTE working for YCB a 30% cut in staffing levels.

Links

1. UNISON report to Adults & Safeguarding Committee 19 March 2015.

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/UNISON%20Response%20to%20YCB%20Task%20and%20Finish%20Group%20follow%20up%20report.pdf

2. Member’s Item – Your Choice Barnet

http://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s22057/Members%20Item%20-%20Cllr.%20Rawlings%20-%20Your%20Choice%20Barnet.pdf

3. Why UNISON Your Choice Barnet Care Workers are taking strike action.

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/2015.01.15.%20YCB%20FLYER%20PUBLIC.pdf

4. UNISON Your Choice Barnet Care Workers “9 Point Flyer

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/2015.01.15.%20STRIKE%20YCB%20FLYER%20nine%20point.pdf

5. Your Choice – in built pension burden creates artificial loss to justify pay cuthttp://lbbspending.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/nochoice.html

6. Sign Petition to Stop the ongoing destruction of services for adults with disabilities in Barnet

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-the-ongoing-destruction-of-services-for-adults-with-disabilities-in-barnet

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: UNISON strike ballot of members working for Barnet Council opens today.

Barnet UNISON Press Release: 18 March 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: UNISON strike ballot of members working for Barnet Council opens today.

Today UNISON, one of the UK’s largest trade unions, serving more than 1.3 million members, opened their strike ballot today.

The Trades Dispute with London Borough of Barnet is over staff remaining in employment with Barnet Council.

The ballot is a direct response to the five commissioning projects agreed at the 3 March 2015 Full Council which would mean outsourcing the majority of the workforce into a variety of alternative delivery models.

The Ballot opens 18th March and closes 8th April.

At the infamous Full Council meeting on 3 March 2015, the Conservative Administration voted through the decision to explore other options for directly delivering council services. The services involved are as follows:

· Libraries

· Adults & Communities

· Children’s Centres

· Street Scene services

· Education & Skills and School Meals

UNISON estimates that this will mean upwards of 80% of the workforce are likely to be working for a different employer. According to a recent Barnet Council committee report there are only 1,466 directly employed permanent staff.

UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said:

“In December 2014 our branch conducted a poll of our members which produced the following feedback. 87% of our members want to remain employees of the London Borough of Barnet. 61% of our members said as a result of knowing they could be outsourced they are seriously looking to find employment elsewhere; 96% of our members expressed concern about being outsourced and 81% of members said morale was bad in their workforce. Feedback from the Poll and subsequent UNISON meetings reconfirms our members wish to remain Council employees which is why we are recommending a Yes vote in our strike ballot.”

Notes to Editors.

Contact details: John Burgess Barnet UNISON on 07738389569 or 0208 359 2088 or email: john.burgess@barnetunison.org.uk

Background:

1. Barnet Full Council 3 March 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCOl8-Z-1vA&feature=youtu.be

2. The legal questions raised by One Barnet

http://www.lawgazette.co.uk/law/practice-points/the-legal-questions-raised-by-one-barnet/5037912.fullarticle

3. The One Barnet case heralds local government’s disappearing act

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/05/one-barnet-case-heralds-local-governments-disappearing-act

4. Strike ballot as Tory-run Bromley council plans to dramatically slash its workforce

http://www.unitetheunion.org/news/strike-ballot-as-tory-run-bromley-council-plans-to-dramatically-slash-its-workforce/

Barnet Council call off plan to recover the overpayments

IMPORTANT NEWS: OVERPAYMENTS

PLEASE SEE MESSAGE SENT OUT TO BARNET COUNCIL STAFF ON FRIDAY 13 MARCH. THE MESSAGE CONFIRMS THAT STAFF WILL NOT HAVE ANY MONEY DEDUCTED FROM THEIR PAY.

Sent: 13 March 2015 15:36

To: AllStaff

Subject: Weekly message from the Acting Chief Operating Officer – Staff Pay

“You will have received an email from ‘First Team’ on 10 March entitled ‘National Pay Awards – pay adjustments’.  The email sets out details of the national pay award for local government staff and talks of the need for the Council to ‘recover overpayments’.  In my role as Acting Chief Operating Officer, I have listened to the views of staff and reflected on this.  As a consequence, I have decided that the Council should not go ahead with the recovery of these payments and, as a result, you will not see deductions to your pay, as the email suggests.

The outcome of the national pay award is that staff will receive a 2.2% pay rise, backdated to January 2015.  The Council made a decision last year to award staff a pay increase of 1% from April 2014, on the premise that the most likely outcome of the national negotiations would be a 1% pay rise backdated to April 2014.  We took this decision in good faith – ahead of the outcome of the national award – in recognition that staff had been subject to a number of years of pay freezes.

However, because the national pay award was only backdated to January rather than April, it means that the Council paid staff an additional 1% more between April – January.  I have come to the conclusion that – since it was a proactive decision by the Council to make the award last April – the Council should stick to that and not seek to recover this from your pay.  As ever, if you have a payroll query please contact HR payroll team.

In other news, our colleagues from the Adults Integrated Quality in Care Homes team attended the Skills for Care Accolades Awards this week, being shortlisted for most effective approach to integration and innovation. The CSG Procurement team were also shortlisted for the Local Government Chronicle efficiency award earlier this week. While they didn’t ultimately win, these are both fantastic achievements and demonstrate the breadth of quality services being delivered across the borough.”

Have a good weekend

John Hooton

 

Interim Chief Operating Officer

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