13 September

Barnet Independence Day

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Barnet UNISON members working in the following areas:

Trading Standards & Licensing, Land Charges, Planning & Development, Building Control & Structures, Registration (Births, Deaths & Marriages) Environmental Health, Highways Strategy, Highways Network Management, Highways Traffic & Development, Highways Transport & Regeneration, Strategic Planning & Regeneration, Cemeteries & Crematoria;, Parking Services, Revs & Bens,

have informed the branch through a number of workplaces meetings that they wish to escalate the action. They do not believe the Council is taking the Trades Dispute seriously.

Members have therefore requested that a programme of strike action be agreed to take place over the next few months.

They have asked that the first wave of action to take place on Tuesday 13 September which will be now known as ‘Barnet Independence Day’

Further details of the action will be discussed with members in due course.

* If the Council provides a meaningful proposal to the Trades Dispute we will consider postponing the action whilst we consult with our members.

Keep Public Services Public

Southampton workers taking the lead in the fight back

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Dear Councillors

I understand that August is the time for you all to take a break.

I am enclosing some potential summer holiday reading material.

It is a report published by the Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) entitled ‘Public Administration Committee – Twelfth Report  Government and IT- “A Recipe For Rip-Offs”:

The report was discussed on the BBC Today programme yesterday I was struck by the comment made by Conservative chair of the committee Bernard Jenkin MP speaking on the Today Programme

 

“The Government has said that it is overly reliant on an “oligopoly” of suppliers; some witnesses went further and described the situation as a ‘cartel.’ Whatever we call the situation it has led to an inexcusable situation that sees governments waste an obscene amount of public money.”

 

“Committee chairman, Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin, said that according to some sources, the government had paid contractors between seven and 10 times more than the standard rate.”

 

“The last Labour government spent £16bn in IT projects in 2009.”

 

“It warned: “The lack of IT skills in government and over-reliance on contracting out is a fundamental problem which has been described as a ‘recipe for rip-offs’.”

 

“IT procurement has too often resulted in late, over-budget IT systems that are not fit for purpose.”

 UNISON is not alone in making the parallels with the One Barnet programme where Council services are being bundled together in order they are delivered by a big multinational organisations some of whom are likely to be providing services to government. I am sure expensive consultants were brought into advise politicians that contracts with the ‘big boys’ would deliver innovation, efficiency and improves services.; this independent report clearly proves otherwise. Paying ten times the going rate is inexcusable, but you have to ask yourself how did this happen and why was it not picked up? These companies knew what going on but appear to have no scruples about taking extortionate amounts of public money at a time when the public services are having to make massive cuts.

Enjoy the break 

Best wishes

John Burgess

Branch Secretary.

Barnet UNISON

Standing up for staff and public services

Not for onward transmission in whole or part without permission

Yesterday the Government Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) published this report the title of the report (their words not mine!)

“Government and IT- “A Recipe For Rip-Offs”:

Here are a few quotes from the report

One of the report’s recurring themes is the dominance of Government IT by a small number of large companies.

Bernard Jenkin commented:

“The Government has said that it is overly reliant on an “oligopoly” of suppliers; some witnesses went further and described the situation as a ‘cartel.’ Whatever we call the situation it has led to an inexcusable situation that sees governments waste an obscene amount of public money.”

“Committee chairman, Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin, said that according to some sources, the government had paid contractors between seven and 10 times more than the standard rate.”

“The last Labour government spent £16bn in IT projects in 2009.”

 “It warned: “The lack of IT skills in government and over-reliance on contracting out is a fundamental problem which has been described as a ‘recipe for rip-offs’.”

“IT procurement has too often resulted in late, over-budget IT systems that are not fit for purpose.”

You can read the damning report here

You really could not make it up!

To sum up the report the government has been ripped off by the private sector (what a surprise!)

M They have placed contracts worth £16billion a year in the hand of the ‘Big Boys’ (please take note Barnet Homes!)

M They have been paying 10 times the going rate for the work (Please take note One Barnet fans).

M Poor Procurement often resulted in late, over-budget IT systems that are not fit for purpose (please take note One Barnet fans).

£16 billion a year. Incredible, remember that figure when your pension is being attacked or your job is threatened by cuts to funding or privatisation. How can politicians stand up in front of cameras; when they can’t put their own house in order!

If the above report is true we are the tax payer are paying to line the pockets of the private sector and at the same time being asked to take a cuts to our pensions, redundancy or cuts to our terms and conditions.

Speaking on the Today Programme the committee’s chair Bernard Jenkin said the Government have outsourced too many IT projects and that there has been “too cosy” a relationship with big IT firms

One Barnet programme is systematically bundling up Council services and putting out to the market to deliver them.

If someone would like to explain why One Barnet is different to the above please send in your response and UNISON will publish.

The Pensions war is ongoing and there is a lot of disinformation coming from the media.

UNISON have published an excellent briefing for members.

To view click here

This evening Cabinet Committee considers the Library Strategic Review at Hendon Town Hall at 7 pm.

Please find enclosed report sent to all councillors

 

“

Dear Councillors

Please find enclosed UNISON response to the Library Strategic Review. I think it is a balanced response to the review.

Recommendations:

1.No library branches to be closed, since there is demonstrable support both nationally and locally that the current number of branches remain in place. Also, there are currently legal challenges in regard to Gloucestershire under the 1964 Museum and Libraries Act. The High Court has imposed an injunction on the disposal of library buildings in Gloucestershire and Barnet should therefore respect this status quo until a ruling has been made.

 

2.If there closures are to be made these should not take place until the plans for any projected replacements are fully funded, signed and agreed by the council.

 

3.         That no further alteration in the ratio of public-facing and back-office functions take place, and that no posts be deleted until it can be demonstrated that the current levels of service be maintained.

 

4.The methodology, quantitative and qualitative data of the consultations is fully shared with the staff’s representatives.  Should the quantities of respondents to the consultation requesting changes to the service (e.g. longer opening hours) equal or be less than the numbers indicating they wish to save their libraries from closure, through the consultation and petitions, equal regard should be given to these numbers.

 

5.The management fully negotiate guidelines, policies and procedures regarding the use of volunteers and with specific reference to the issues of safeguarding and data protection with the trade unions, and that no volunteer be taken on until those negotiations reach a satisfactory conclusion.

 

6.Before any further changes to the Library Service are shared with the public, agreement should be reached through negotiation with the trade unions regarding changes that impact on the staff’s current hours and working practices

 7.         Staff at libraries directly affected by the implementation of the Library Strategy are provided with full information about their future terms & conditions and locations.

To view full report click here “

Best wishes

John Burgess

Branch Secretary.

Barnet UNISON

Standing up for staff and public services

Breaking News!!!!!!

Flash Mob thingymyjig on Pensions!

Barnet UNISON has been contacted by the Council about our Flash Mob thingymyjig. They have asked Barnet UNISON to contact our members working for Barnet Council and ask them not use Council computers to join the mass action and gave the following reasons:

·         This action has the potential to cause failure to the Council’s IT systems

·         It could have an impact on communicating with residents

If UNISON does not comply with the request then the Council have informed UNISON the Council will block access to the web site.

This 5 min activity was never intended to have a detrimental impact on the Council ability to provide services to Barnet residents it was to highlight the attacks to our Pensions. I know some members will be suspicious of this request and so I have asked for a copy of the risk assessment which has identified this as a risk to the IT infrastructure.

In the meantime I am asking our members not to use the Council PCs to access the following links

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvBeAwpVZF4

OR TRY

http://barnetunison.blogspot.com/2011/07/francis-maude-cabinet-office-minister.html

However………..

We can offer UNISON members working in NLBP today the following:

Members can call into the UNISON office (building 4) today to access the video. Our IT system is not connected to the Councils; a copy of the transcript of the interview with Francis Maude will be made available.

Over the weekend…………..

We are asking our members to try and find time to playing the BIG CON video on their PC’s or mobile phones at home on the following links

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvBeAwpVZF4

OR TRY

http://barnetunison.blogspot.com/2011/07/francis-maude-cabinet-office-minister.html

Please watch the video and share it with your friends on Face Book, Blogs and Twitter.

We have a provided a transcript of the BBC interview which you can download here.

For those unable to view the BIGCON video we can make a short DVD in order you can view. Contact the branch on 0208 359 2088 or email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

Best-selling author Kate Mosse, an early supporter of the Save Barnet Libraries campaign mentioning it on the BBC Politics show and in The Guardian (see http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/dec/11/kate-mosse-libraries-books), last week launched a scathing attack on the matter of library closures. She said, “There has been a naïve belief on the part of government and local authorities that after the initial objections, public anger would wane. Instead it is the precise opposite: the anger has simply exacerbated” adding that there had been “a catastrophic failure of leadership” from the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, the Arts Council and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. (see http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/fight-to-save-local-libraries-gets-its-day-in-court-2314964.html).

Friern Barnet Library Party

To emphasise Kate’s point, Campaigners for Friern Barnet Library channelled their anger over its threatened closure into the positive force of organising a party to celebrate this focal point of their community. Hundreds turned up, (especially children in fancy dress, many of them representing Hogwarts school – fortunately not thought to be one of the six local schools affected by the closure!) to enjoy a bookworm cake, send a letter to their councillor, make ‘save our library’ posters and listen to live music. If you were there you will know what a great time was had by all – if you weren’t check out the campaign’s website at http://sites.google.com/site/savefriernbarnetlibrary/ to join in the fun through ‘you tube’ and ‘flickr’.

Cabinet Meeting

Barnet Council’s cabinet meeting takes place on 26^th July 2011, 7:00pm at Hendon Town Hall to discuss the Library Strategy Review. This is the meeting that will decide the fate of Friern Barnet, Hampstead Garden Suburb and North Finchley Libraries. Campaigners on behalf of the above libraries intend to be there and would welcome anybody to come along and offer moral support.

Contact your MP

Campaigners are also asking users of the affected libraries to contact their MP to let them know they do not want their libraries to close.

For Friern Barnet this is Theresa Villiers MP who can be contacted through:

http://www.theresavilliers.com/email/

For Hampstead Garden Suburb and North Finchley it is Mike Freer MP who can be contacted at mike.freer.mp@parliament.uk

As Kate Mosse has said, let them know your anger over library closures is not on the wane – but do it politely as we want them to take action not umbrage!

 

 

 

The One Barnet Programme (OBP) talks about the Council having ‘a different relationship with the citizen’, staff will have heard at One Barnet briefings that the OBP ‘puts the citizen at the heart of everything the council does’

In light of the above Barnet UNISON decided to commission the view of an ordinary citizen on One Barnet Programme.

You can view his response here

Friday 22 July at 12.30pm…. Friday 22 July at 12.30pm!

At a recent Pension branch briefing members thought it would be a good idea if UNISON members across the branch which includes a number of different employers agreed to watch and listen to this short video (3 mins 57 secs)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvBeAwpVZF4

The video includes an interview with the Cabinet Officer Minister Francis Maude.

We are asking our members to start playing the BIG CON video on their PC’s or mobile phones at the same time whether it at work (in their lunch break) or at home.

Please watch the video on Friday 22 July at 12.30pm

We have a provided a transcript of the BBC interview which you can download here.

For those unable to view the BIGCON video we can make a short DVD in order you can view. Contact the branch on 0208 359 2088 or email

contactus@barnetunison.org.uk