In Barnet over the past 6 years there has been some major changes to Council services. Here are 100 links to a variety of video clips, short films, songs and animations.
1. Barnet: The Disappearing Council – full version
2. Welcome to the Disappearing Council
3. Save Barnet Libraries campaign gets a Bollywood makeover
4. Barneto : The Emperors New Clothes
5. Disappearing Council the movie
To view complete list click here
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
3. The One Barnet case heralds local government’s disappearing act
4. Strike ballot as Tory-run Bromley council plans to dramatically slash its workforce
Barnet UNISON Press Release: 11 March 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: UNISON to issue a strike ballot to Barnet Commissioning Council workforce
UNISON, one of the UK’s largest trade unions, serving more than 1.3 million members, wrote to Barnet Council on 11 March 2015 notifying them of our intention to conduct a strike ballot of the Council workforce. This ballot is a direct response to the five commissioning projects agreed at the 3 March 2105 Full Council which would mean outsourcing of the majority of the workforce.
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.
It is important to note that the in-house service option for eleven out of twelve outsourcing projects have been rejected by Barnet Council over the last three years. UNISON has, over the last six years, tried to engage with Barnet Council over the future delivery of council services without success. In-house services, whilst previously being high performing and low cost, have meant nothing.
Barnet Council abandoned its role of directly delivering services when it adopted the mass outsourcing EasyCouncil One Barnet Programme back in November 2010.
We now have first-hand experience of what happens following outsourcing and even councillors of all parties are openly critical of some the services they are receiving from Capita.
The shocking Care Quality Commission (CQC) report on Your Choice Barnet is more evidence of what happens when terms & conditions are cut and are not taken seriously. It is clear from the report that service users were put at risk as a consequence of YCB’s attempts to deliver the seriously flawed One Barnet Business Case.
In committee meeting after committee meeting the public has had to listen to talk of difficult decisions, yet the real difficult decision would be to reject the austerity budget process and refuse to cut and outsource services. Elected members were elected to serve their communities and not impose policies that will see even greater inequalities.
Contrary to the spin that outsourcing protects frontline services and guarantees savings, what all the evidence clearly documents is that the taxpayer ultimately ends up paying the extra costs whilst service quality deteriorates.
Austerity is driving the outsourcing agenda not just in Barnet but across the UK and Europe. Whilst other councils are also considering mass outsourcing Barnet is racing ahead and appears to be in a race with Northampton & Bromley Councils which are also doing the same.
UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said:
“Barnet Council staff are an incredible, resourceful & understanding workforce, who have been subjected to unacceptable levels of change and stress. The adoption of the five commissioning outsourcing projects makes it very clear to all staff that the Council is not interested in retaining in-house services. This is an ideological assault on public services and our branch is drawing a line in the sand by declaring this ballot. Austerity politics is driving an anti-in-house services agenda which we reject and are asking our members to reject.”
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. Barnet: The Disappearing Council animation.
3. CQC inspection report 3 March 2015
http://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-112848964
4. Strike ballot as Tory-run Bromley council plans to dramatically slash its workforce
5. Council to commission out child protection in the biggest outsourcing ‘in a generation’
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 81% of Barnet Council workforce to be outsourced!
Barnet UNISON Press Release: 18 November 2014
Later this week the Environment & Adults Safeguarding Committee are due vote on decisions to begin the process of outsourcing Council staff working in Street Scene (refuse & recycling, street cleansing, parks etc) and Adult Social Care (social workers).
These decisions follow earlier Committee meetings which also recommended outsourcing.
The numbers of staff to be outsourced are as follows:
· Street Scene 478.42 posts.
· Adult Social Care 362.75
· Education & Catering 336
· Early Years Children’s Centres 170
· Library Service 150
Full details of Barnet Council Committee decisions can be found in our latest report here.
John Burgess UNISON Branch Secretary said: “We have already been through massive changes with a third of the Council staff outsourced under the One Barnet Programme (1371). BUT this latest set of proposals is going to hit staff particularly hard and will have a detrimental effect on the ability of Barnet Council to recruit new staff.
If all of the above services are outsourced the Council will have outsourced 2878 staff leaving behind a small cohort of 332 staff. Our branch has unfortunately had to deal with a lot of outsourcing in the past two years and in almost all cases it has meant cuts & redundancies for the staff transferring and led to the emergence of a two- tier workforce. In response to this shocking news we have organised a public meeting on 26 November at the Greek Cypriot Centre, North Finchley to discuss the implications for our members and council services.”
End.
Notes to Editors.
Contact details: John Burgess Barnet UNISON on 07738389569 or 0208 359 2088 or email: john.burgess@barnetunison.org.uk
Background:
Between January 2012 and October 2013 Barnet Council outsourced the following services:
Adult Social care, Parking services, Legal services, Customer Services, Estates, Finance, Human Resources and Payroll, IT Infrastructure and Support, Procurement, Revenues and Benefits, Commercial Services, Housing Options, Building Control, Planning Administration (Development Management),Strategic Planning and Regeneration, Transport, Highways Services, Land Charges, Environmental Health, Trading Standards and Licensing, Cemetery and Crematorium, Barnet Registration and Nationality Service.
In September 2012 Barnet Council employed 3,200 staff (excluding maintained school staff)
In September 2014 Barnet Council employs 1829.71 staff (excluding maintained school staff)
Links:
1. 81% of Barnet staff facing outsourcing an Update on the “Disappearing Council”
http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/2014.11.14%20DisappearingCouncil.pdf
2. Barnet libraries threatened with closure as council earmarks £2.8m cuts
3. 26 November 2014 public meeting http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/26%20November%202014%20Public%20meeting.pdf
Last Tuesday at a full Council Meeting it was voted by a majority of one to go ahead with the Libraries Strategy. Three options are to be offered for the future of libraries, but no matter which one is chosen the following results will apply.
Well before 2020 Barnet Libraries will have been replaced by a number of libraries in the borough either run for profit by a private enterprise, or by a mutual struggling to survive, or by community groups with insufficient resources.
Up to two in three library jobs will have gone. They will be replaced by volunteers and machines.
Most surviving libraries will be smaller, being only 540 square feet in area. Book and audio-visual stock will be reduced, cutting choice. There will be less computers for the public to use and less study space available.
Libraries will be unsafe. For most of its’ opening times a library will not have any staff (or even volunteers) on site. Access will be gained through a swipe card. Unsocial behaviour and theft are not unknown in libraries today despite staff being on site. The Council will replace on site staffing at these times by CCTV, and “remote voice or video information”.
These changes will result in disaster for the service, and will discourage use by the public, increasing the likelihood of more closures in the years to come.
UNISON oppose the Library Strategy and call for its replacement with a plan for that will benefit all those who have a stake a real Library Service.
Join your union in resisting the Council’s attack on libraries and library workers implicit in the Library Strategy.
The vote which was won last night 32 votes to 31 was an amendment to the original motion submitted by Labour Councillor Rebecca Challice which said:
“Delete report recommendations 2-5 and replace with:
2. Council and the Children, Education, Libraries & Safeguarding (CELS) Committee actively supports the ongoing discussions with Brookhill, St Margaret’s and Hampden Way Nursery Schools but recognises that they need more time to resolve budgetary issues and ensure a mutually agreed and sustainable future. Council and the CELS Committee therefore instructs officers to work with these three nursery schools to achieve this and report back to the CELS Committee for a final decision.
3. Council and the CELS Committee supports and agrees the Moss Hall nursery school business plan proposal that will save LB Barnet £160,000 each year from 2016/17, and instructs officers to implement the proposal.”
This means Moss Hall Nursery is now safe for the time being as their proposal has been accepted.
Future for St Margaret’s, Brookhill and Hampden Way Nursery Schools
The key sentence is “instructs officers to work with these three nursery schools to achieve this and report back to the CELS Committee for a final decision” the next CELS meeting is on 12 January 2015 see here
Next meeting
The Joint Trade Unions are meeting with their members on Thursday 13 November 2014 at 4.15 at Hampden Way Nursery School to discuss how they will be involved in developing a plan which secures a future for all three schools and the community they proudly serve.
To view full report please click here
Recommendations
1. Barnet UNISON strongly recommends that in-house provision is included in each option.
2. It is essential that a comprehensive risk register is compiled immediately and forms part of the public and staff consultation so that the risks can be fully understood in assessing the options.
3. Assurances are required to both the public and staff that the wider role of volunteers is only a short-term measure.
4. A full equality impact assessment is undertaken to identify the effect of the Library options and the operational proposals
Family Services open statutory consultation with staff and the Trade Unions on Monday 22 September 2014. This transformation involves all staff in Family Services with the exception of Libraries and Early Years.
This consultation is for 30 days however if there are significant issues of concern UNISON may request that the consultation be extended.
In initial discussions with senior management we understand the following will be provided:
· Large staff briefings will be taking place on 22 September 2014 so please make sure you can attend these meetings.
· Staff will be offered 1:1 meetings
· HR surgeries
· A Frequently Asked Questions link with be uploaded onto the Council Intranet
In response to this consultation it is important that UNISON provide support & advice to all of our members. To this end we have arranged a series of UNISON meetings for members in Family Services.
The first set of meetings are open to all of our members across Family Services.
The second set of meetings are for specific service areas across Family Services to allow for particular service issues to be discussed.
UNISON members are entitled to bring a rep into 1:1 meetings, however sometimes we may need notice of these meetings. If at any point you need to speak to a UNISON rep please do not hesitate to contact the branch at contactus@barnetunison.org.uk or call 0208 359 2088.
To view flyer click here
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