FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Your Choice Barnet care workers now out for 3 days!
Barnet UNISON Press Release: 24 March 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: YCB care workers now out for 3 days!
YCB made a cut of 9.5% of the workers’ wages in order to save £400,000. YCB has now offered the workforce £40,000 as a one-off payment. This is less than £400 per head of staff. Staff in Supported Living – the service area which attracted such a poor inspection rating are losing around £400 per month from this pay cut and loss of their weekend allowances and shift enhancements.
Our members gave this some consideration but were very underwhelmed by the offer.
Earlier today Radio Four listeners heard about the appalling practices adopted by
“It gives a breakdown of unpaid travel time for 44 members of staff in the Penarth branch for the week starting 22nd September 2014, and estimates they could be owed as much as £80,000 over three years.**
http://www.corporatewatch.org/care-company-mihomecare-mitie-staff-minimum-wage
What is happening in the care sector is exploitation of the worse kind on both the staff and those needing their services.
This is a direct result of privatisation of care services.
As a result of this story Councils will be responding to questions as to whether they use this provider and if so how have they been monitoring them.
On Wednesday 25 March Barnet care workers working for Your Choice Barnet (YCB) begin a series of three days of strike action in response to a 9.5% pay cut imposed by their employer last year.
The strikers are fighting the cut and what they see as a danger to the quality of future services.
Picket lines will run from 7.30am at:
Flower Lane Day Centre
41 Flower Lane
Barnet
London NW7 2JN
Rosa Morrison Day Centre
83 Gloucester Road
Totteridge
Barnet
London EN5 1NA
UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said:
“Still Barnet Council is refusing to be a part of the negotiations on a business which it owns100%. We view this as neglectful with respect to the workforce and the service users.”
Notes to Editors.
Contact details: John Burgess Barnet UNISON on 07738389569 or 0208 359 2088 or email: john.burgess@barnetunison.org.uk
Background:
In February 2012 Barnet Council transferred Learning Disability and Physical and Sensory Impairment services for adults to a Local Authority Trading Company (LATC) called Your Choice Barnet (YCB). About 160 staff (145.6 Full Time Equivalents) in Adults services transferred to the LATC.
Following a restructure in 2013 and cuts to pay on shift allowances there are now only about 105 FTE working for YCB a 30% cut in staffing levels.
Links
1. CQC Report Supported Living inspection report here http://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-112848964
2. CQC report with highlights by Barnet UNISON here http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/Barnet%20Supported%20Living%20inspection%20report%202014%20UNISON.pdf
3. Winterbourne quote: “The complaints heard at both the first inquiry and this one testified not only to inadequate staffing levels, but poor leadership, recruitment and training. This led in turn to a declining professionalism and a tolerance of poor standards.” (Page 45, Report of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry February 2013 Executive summary).
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/213215/final-report.pdf
4. UNISON response to Consultation Paper 31 May 2013
5. UNISON response to Task and Finish Report 25 November 2013
6. “I Found Myself Just Crying” – Your Choice Barnet
http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/?q=node/1263
7. Why UNISON Your Choice Barnet Care Workers are taking strike action.
http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/2015.01.15.%20YCB%20FLYER%20PUBLIC.pdf
8. UNISON Your Choice Barnet Care Workers “9 Point Flyer
9. Support UNISON Your Choice Barnet Care Workers strike action video
10. The Capita £110million payment
http://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s21029/Appendix%20I%20-%20Capita%20Payments.pdf
11. Your Choice – in built pension burden creates artificial loss to justify pay cut http://lbbspending.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/nochoice.html
12. Sign Petition to Stop the ongoing destruction of services for adults with disabilities in Barnet