Barnet ‘The Shrinking Council’

Above is a Bar Graph which shows the Council is shrinking due to the outsourcing.

In September this year the Council produced performance statistics here; on page 9 there is a staffing breakdown by service area. Members know our branch has been persistently asking the Council to produce accurate information about job vacancies. In our view it is critically important that all staff facing redundancy are provided with opportunities to secure another job within the Council and avoid being made redundant.  According to the figures provided by the Council there were 726.71 vacancies across the Council.

Next week the Budget report going to Cabinet Committee so, now we know the Council workforce has reduced to 2,200. What is shocking is that according to figures produced at Remuneration Committee last month almost a half of the Council workforce earns less that the London Living Wage (approx £8.80 and hour). In the Budget report it identifies 34 posts at risk of redundancy; however the bigger number of staff at risk of redundancy are former Council staff who transferred to Capita. UNISON is pleased to note that Capita & Council are putting in place a process for these staff to be able to apply for any vacant posts within the Council.