Category: UNISON Campaign

Barnet UNISON has spent 3 days in negotiations so far with Your Choice Barnet and we will continue talking. We are hopeful the talks will yield a positive change for our members but at the moment this has not been achieved.

Our members working for Your Choice Barnet delivered a100% vote for strike action and will not be taking strike action lightly but as one colleague said:

“In taking this action we are standing up for ourselves and service users so neither lose out”.

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 and cuts to pay on shift allowancesthere are now only about 105 FTE working for YCB.

This is a resounding ballot result and vindication of why Barnet UNISON has always said theadditional 9.5% cut was unacceptable both to our members and the future for these critical frontline services. It is not feasible to continually attack low paid workers and expect them to take it without a fight and our members are not prepared to put up with joining a race to the bottom that is now common practice in the social care industry. The business case for this outsourced service was flawed from the outset three years ago and to date we have yet to see any financial figures which demonstrate this service will be able to deliver new business.

Our members are taking a pay cut in order for YCB to repayBarnet Homes a loan borrowed at commercial rates of interest!

Last year Barnet Council brought back the recycling service because they felt they could do a better job, which is why we are asking them to bring this service back in house in order to ensure a safe and secure service for Adults with Disabilities in Barnet.

The last twelve months have seen a sharp increase in the numbers of agency staff and zero hours contracts being used to deliver these services. The attacks on staff haveunderminedmorale and led to an exodus of experienced staff. For many of our members this is a last chance to save the service.

UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said:

“Your Choice Barnet say they have no choice as Barnet Council is only prepared to pay a set market rate for the support provided by YCB, but YCB is owned wholly by the Council. Somewhere between the Council and YCB there has to be a solution which doesn’t mean our members and the service users are used as football between the two paying for the problem.”

Notes to Editors.

Contact details: John Burgess Barnet UNISON on07738389569 or 0208 359 2088 or email:john.burgess@barnetunison.org.uk

Links

1. Barnet UNISON response to Your Choice Barnet Consultation Paper

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/UNISON%20response%20to%20YOUR%20CHOICE%20BARNET%20March%202014%20FINAL.pdf

2. ‘The way out of financial crisis’ Analysis of Consultation Paper Your Choice Barnet Ltd The Barnet Group Ltd (Local Authority Trading Company), London Borough of Barnet

http://www.socialworkfuture.org/attachments/article/330/CADDSS%20analysis%20.pdf

3. Barnet UNISON Report: The Barnet Group Ltd, Local Authority Trading Company: Privatising Adults and Housing Services London Borough of Barnet

http://www.european-services-strategy.org.uk/news/2012/local-authority-trading-company-latc-for-adult/latc-analysis-2012.pdf

4. Stop the ongoing destruction of services for adults with disabilities in Barnet petition

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

“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.

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