Barnet UNISON

The following email was sent to all 63 Barnet Coucnillors. To view the report click here

“Dear Councillors and those celebrating the New Year “L’Shana Tova,”

Please find enclosed UNISON briefing Number 5 entitled ‘What are Joint Ventures’This briefing is in response to the recent Council decision to abandon strategic outsourcing in favour of the Joint Venture option for the DRS One Barnet project. I am also including the Treasury Guidance on Joint Ventures for those of you who would like to read much more detailed Government advice on Joint Ventures (also attached). 

I am sure you are all aware that on Wednesday 19 September there is item specifically about Joint Ventures at the Budget & Performance Overview committee http://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=123&MId=7332

I will be attending this committee and hope you all will be able to make it.

As ever if there is a point of clarification or concern please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best wishes

John Burgess

Branch Secretary.

Barnet UNISON

To view complaint letter click here

Not content with rushing staff out of the building the council submitted a report to the Council Remuneration Committee last night to begin a wholesale review of all posts/allowances etc. UNISON submitted a response which you can view here.

We are concerned because the reasons for the review simply don’t stack up. At no point has the Council ever said we need to talk because “we are simply not paying our staff enough!” and after witnessing a vitriolic outburst from a Barnet councillor earlier this week (click here) you can see why UNISON is concerned why we view this as a race to the bottom.

Make sure you come to the branch meeting on Tuesday 25 September 12 noon conference room 1 

It is unprecedented for a Councillor to name a Council Officer (an employee of the Council) in a disparaging way in public. Why? Because a Council officer has no public right of reply. So when the employee being attacked is the branch secretary of the biggest Council union, namely our John Burgess, it is particularly offensive. The same Councillor uses sexist, denigrating language to people sitting in the public gallery. “Ah, but that’s Brian Coleman for you,” I hear you say, “The Councillor who just lost his GLA seat and seat on the Cabinet”. I do not much care for speculation about whether he was there to provoke or not etc. I do know this: He was asked/ allowed to make a key speech for the ruling Conservative Group on a key issue facing our workforce – the One Barnet Programme. That group and the leader of that group allowed him to be their public face. Rightly or wrongly he was chosen. During the whole debate (and I was there throughout) Cllr Coleman made no apology. His leader, Cllr Cornelius, did not distance himself from the comments made by Cllr Coleman or insist on an apology, instead he smiles and nods approvingly. The Mayor does not choose to make any kind of statement regarding conduct expected from Councillors serving in public office but only addresses his comments to members of the public, many of them women incensed at having been insulted, nor does he choose to remind Councillors about protocols around naming employees of the Council. Cllr Harper (portfolio for Children’s Services) is clearly seen smiling when his colleague uses sexist language to residents of Barnet. What does this say about our Council’s ability to conduct Equality Impact Assessments?

I hope you would agree with me that we think our Branch Secretary should continue writing emails on behalf of our members to the Councillors. If they think this is “increasingly desperate”, that is their problem. We elect our Branch Secretary precisely to represent us, amongst other things by telling the Council when we think they have got it wrong. The fact the leading Conservative Group refuses to debate with us (and we have offered many, many times over) on the detail of the One Barnet Programme, but can only resort to name calling is a critical sign of weakness in their case. Nonetheless they think they can get away with it. We must show them otherwise.

Listen to the speech, listen to the way the Councillors express their views via Cllr Brian Coleman about you as a workforce. They just do not care about you. Now what was that about Barnet’s Values…? Who do you stand by? Come to branch meeting 25^th September.

Councillor Coleman One Barnet speech

http://youtu.be/jiGOM0LbfdA

Bite size clips of the above speech

·         Councillor Coleman attacks Barnet Alliance residents in public gallery

·         http://youtu.be/ViiB-RDG5kE

·         Councillor Coleman calls residents old hags

·         http://youtu.be/G3HeXtOWWyo

·         Councillor Coleman says staff don’t matter

·         http://youtu.be/8uPHxKhKoKw

·         Councillor Coleman attacks staff and UNISON Branch Secretary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yofl1HfI8c

·         Councillor Coleman and Leader share private joke

·         http://youtu.be/LREDmOdnafI

 

Dear Councillor

Please find enclosed Briefing Number 4 (to view click here)

This briefing is closer to home and raises issues on the ability of the council to monitor a contract effectively. The key message is to do so you need sufficient resources. It is clear from reading the Council Committee reports that this contract has not delivered to the satisfaction of residents or the council and it has also brought a financial risk which has led to the Council transferring £2,101,000 earmarked reserves.

If you wish to read a more detailed report on the above contract please click on the link here

I hope you will take time to read our briefings, furthermore if you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best wishes

John Burgess

Branch Secretary.

Barnet UNISON

Dear Councillors

 

Please find enclosed UNISON briefing 3 (to view click here) which provides some recent information on a Joint venture in Conservative run Somerset Council.

 

I have been following Southwest One for more than five years. No doubt councillors and senior officers were provided the best legal advice from lawyers and consultants about drafting a contract which would protect the interests of local tax payers.

 

I would like to leave you with the words of the former Conservative leader of Somerset Council of Ken Maddock speaking at a Council Budget fixing meeting earlier this year:

“We need a council that can cope with future government cuts and rising demand.

“Sadly, Southwest One is failing. It is failing to deliver promised savings; failing to cope with a changing financial landscape; failing to be flexible enough to adapt in challenging times and provide the best possible value for money.

 

I am sure somerset council tax payers will not understand why their council tax payments are being wasted on expensive litigation when the Council did have the choice to deliver these services & savings themselves.  

 

Best wishes

John Burgess

Branch Secretary.

Barnet UNISON

0208 359 2088

www.barnetunison.me.uk

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Defend Our Pensions

 

Thanks to excellent work of cartoonist Tim Sanders UNISON can now provide comic strip of the video showing Barnet resident Mr Cam Paign scoring full marks on his chosen subject One Barnet with no passes.

Do you fancy a go?

To view comic strip click here

Newly Created Local Authority Trading Company hits Financial Difficulties

The Your Choice (Ltd) LATC (colleagues in the services formally provided in Adults Services) has just revealed to the unions it is projecting a deficit for the close of the financial year of £700,000. This is over 3 times the projected deficit forecast in the Business Case. UNISON always queried the evidence for the Business Case for setting up the LATC and so this news is, whilst not surprising, is still extremely disappointing. In other words it would have been good to report UNISON’s basis for scepticism was unfounded.

There will be consultations involving our members and the unions. UNISON will want to meet with as many member groups as possible. Talk to your reps about setting up meetings.

As a result of the talks UNISON sought clarification from the senior manager responsible for Your Choice (Ltd) with regards the savings reported in the business case which went to Council committee in January 2012

The Business case reported the following:

 “6.33 Savings

6.34 There is a requirement within the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for Adults Social Care to make a £200,000 saving in 2012/13 in respect of the Local Authority Trading Company. The analysis above shows that the Local Authority Trading Company will not generate this saving until 2013/14, so Adults Social Care will fund this cost for 2012/13, but will also make a greater surplus from 2014/15 onwards.”

UNISON is asking is asking if the £700,000 predicted shortfall solely refers to the LATC losses with additional £200,000 savings expected from adults social services as required under the Medium Terms Financial Strategy