Branch Secretary reports back to striking UNISON members
Dear Colleagues
I want to first of all I want to send a BIG BIG thank you to all of you who took part in the strike action on Tuesday. I know how hard it was for you to take strike action is never easy and in these economic times it is even harder. Over the last couple of weeks members have been subjected to a bombardment of communications which was clearly designed to try to influence you not to take strike action. You took the brave decision not to be intimidated and made your voice loud and clear. You took the message out on the streets of Barnet. Residents who had never heard of One Barnet, do now!
You delivered 7,500 newspapers and leaflets, any political party would be proud if they could do that in a day.
You can view some of the pictures of the day here and a couple of pictures attached
Here is a message from UNISON General Secretary to all our members who took strike action
“Dear John
As you take action today, I want you to know that I stand with you. As do our 1.4 million members
We’re beside you as you stand up to the Council. We’re beside you as you stand up to the reckless plans of that council that threaten to destroy the services you’ve worked so hard to build. These are services that are vital to Barnet, to the community you live and work in. To threaten these services is sheer madness.
There are around 400 of you taking action in Barnet, but there are 1.4 million of us in UNISON.
And I want you to remember today that you’re not alone in Barnet, we are with you every step of the way
Yours in solidarity
Dave Prentis”
Barnet UNISON members were not the only people to stage a walk out.
I attended the Full Council Meeting to listen to the debate about the One Barnet Programme. The debate was cut short. The Labour Councillors decided to register their protest by ‘walking out of the Council meeting.
“The Mayor unfortunately chose to cut short the Opposition-led debate on OneBarnet despite repeated protestations on the part of Labour councillors. She may argue that it was on the grounds that the Council meeting was running late. However, having just allowed the Administration-led debate to run for the full 30 minutes the decision was ill-judged, anti-democratic and partisan – something the Mayor should be at pains to avoid. The Conservative Administration seem determined to press ahead with the OneBarnet project regardless of any challenge and their high-handed and arrogant behaviour has to stop. Opportunities for open and democratic debate in the Council meetings have been progressively eroded over recent years and I and my fellow Labour Councillors believed it was time to draw a line. I made a clear statement on behalf of the Labour councillors that the situation was absolutely unacceptable and we left the meeting.” (Alison Moore Councillor , Leader of the Labour Party)
I am concerned about the impact this is having on the morale of the workforce especially when morale is at an all time low.
Yesterday staff have received another communication about TUPE and Pensions. This letter refers to TUPE transfers going back 5 years. It is interesting the Council choose to only go back 5 years, because the mass transfers of Council staff took place between 2000- 2005
I want to take this opportunity to go over the ‘Council offer’, which has been imposed on staff last week through the use of quite extraordinary communications.
“Is this a generous offer???”
1. All employees in services moving to a new employer will be able to continue their membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme uninterrupted and unchanged
2. Local union recognition will be protected for staff moving to external suppliers
3. Terms and conditions of staff transferred will be protected for at least one year after leaving the council’s employment
4. Any changes to terms and conditions after that first year will have to be negotiated with the appropriate trade union.
Now take a look at the real story they don’t want you to read and then compare it with the ‘Council Offer’
1. Fremantle
When Care staff were outsourced to Fremantle
They took their pensions with them (less than 20% of staff are now left in the scheme)
When Care staff were outsourced to Fremantle
Fremantle recognised UNISON
When Care staff were outsourced to Fremantle
Fremantle consulted with the UNISON over changes to terms & conditions
When Care staff were outsourced to Fremantle
Fremantle waited a couple of years before the destroyed the terms & conditions of our members
2. Greenwich Leisure
When staff were transferred to Greenwich Leisure
They took their pension with them (less than 1% left in the scheme)
When staff were transferred to Greenwich Leisure
Greenwich recognised UNISON
When staff were transferred to Greenwich Leisure
Greenwich Leisure consulted with UNISON over changes to terms & conditions after a couple of years.
When staff were transferred to Greenwich Leisure
In the time since staff were transferred to Greenwich Leisure I can report there are now no staff left on council terms and conditions
3. Cleaning Contractors (there have been 2 TUPE transfers in 7 years!)
When cleaners were transferred the Cleaning Contractors
They took their pensions (less than 1% are left in the scheme)
When cleaners were transferred the Cleaning Contractors
The contractors recognised UNISON
When cleaners were transferred the Cleaning Contractors
Contractors consulted with UNISON
When cleaners were transferred the Cleaning Contractors
They waited over a year before attacking terms & conditions
4. Home Care workers
When home care workers were transferred to Housing 21
They took their pension with them (less than 20% left in the scheme)
When home care workers were transferred to Housing 21
They recognised UNISON
When home care workers were transferred to Housing 21
They consulted with UNISON when they attacked our members terms & conditions
5. Housing Repair workers
When housing repairs were transferred to Connaught’s
They took their pensions (there are less than 30% of them left in)
When housing repairs were transferred to Connaught’s
Connaught’s recognised UNISON
When housing repairs were transferred to Connaught’s
Connaught’s consulted with UNISON before attacking our members terms & conditions.
Our members working in housing repairs are now working for Lovells but are now facing their fourth TUPE in 6 years
UNISON response to the ‘Council Offer’
We told the Council the following:
1. Location: The number 1 concern for our members. If the contractor plans to deliver services outside of the borough all the other points in the council offer are subsequently meaningless if you are made redundant. UNISON said the services must be located within the borough. We have consistently been saying this since 2008.
2. Pension scheme. The Pension Scheme must be open to new starters
3. Protection: Protection should be for the life of the contract or in case of 10 year contracts a minimum of 5 years.
TUPE has been a concern for Barnet staff since the launch of Future Shape/easycouncil/One Barnet.
The most common question asked by staff in the last 3 years is
“How long does TUPE last?”
There is no real answer. It covers the moment you are transferred to the new employer. Most companies wait at least a year before they start on terms & conditions. In our local examples above that was the case. UNISON knows it, the Council knows it, which is why UNISON is saying the Council is being disingenuous when it states
“Terms and conditions of staff transferred will be protected for at least one year after leaving the council’s employment”
If the contractor can claim there is an economic and /or technical or organisational (aka ETO) reason for change they can consult on changes to terms & conditions, this is what happened to all the former council employees.
UNISON understands the risks to our members and services to residents. It is our role as a trade union to try and protect our member’s livelihoods. That is what Trade Unions do.
No self respecting Trade Union would do otherwise. Our branch has attempted over three years to enter into a genuine dialogue with the Council and that is still our position.
Up until the 6 September we were waiting for the full & final offer which we would submit to our members for consultation. However, things changed dramatically when the Council launched a pre-emptive attempt to undermine and spread confusion amongst our members by using what members have described as ‘bullying and intimidatory use of council communications.’
UNISON have consistently made it clear that we would suspend any action once we received a final offer.
John Burgess
Branch Secretary.
Barnet UNISON