Month: September 2015
The “Entity” coming to a workplace near you!
IMPORTANT: Branch meetings 9 & 10 September
Big thanks to UNISON branches for their support
Our members who still work for Barnet Council now face a critical moment as five outsourcing projects are due to make decision in the next five months.
The UNISON family has showed us tremendous solidarity through messages of support and donations.
We began our second phase of our campaign by launching news of our Kids4Libraries march on Saturday 12 September.
We have issued a social media campaign called Thunderclap on Twitter and Face Book and asked supporters to join by clicking on this link and signing up to support.
Here is a list of UNISON branches who have sent donations to our branch.
South Tyneside UNISON
Portsmouth UNISON
Mid Yorkshire Health UNISON
Southend UNISON
Bolton UNISON
Kingston & Chelsea UNISON
Doncaster, District & B Health UNISON
Royal Devon UNISON
Rochdale UNISON
Stoke-on-Trent UNISON
Mendip UNISON
West Midlands Fire UNISON
Burnley UNISON
Hert Community Healthcare UNISON
Tower Hamlets UNISON
Tunbridge Wells Borough UNISON
City of Edinburgh UNISON
Thurrock UNISON
Barking, Havering & Redbridge Health UNISON
Barking & Dagenham UNISON
North Yorkshire UNISON
Carmarthenshire County UNISON
Hillingdon UNISON
Norfolk County UNISON
North Somerset UNISON
Somerset County UNISON
Calderdale UNISON
Lothian Health UNISON
New Forest DC UNISON
Manchester UNISON
Wirral Health UNISON
Wiltshire UNISON
Charnwood Borough UNISON
Sandwell UNISON
Bath Health Care UNISON
Newcastle City UNISON
Stockport Metropolitan UNISON
Western Isles LG UNISON
East Lancashire Health UNISON
Scottish Healthcare UNISON
Hackney UNISON
West Sussex UNISON
Essex County UNISON
Barnsley UNISON
Tameside UNISON
Milton Keynes UNISON
Ashford Borough LG UNISON
Salford City UNISON (£50) & collection (£50)
Camden UNISON
Dudley Hospital Group UNISON
Falkirk UNISON
Swindon UNISON
North Tyneside UNISON
Leeds LG UNISON
Redcar & Cleveland UNISON
Pembrokeshire UNISON
Aberdeen UNISON
Southampton District UNISON
Kirklees UNISON
Cardiff & Vale UNISON
Durham County UNISON
Mid Yorkshire Health UNISON
Bournemouth & Christchurch UNISON
Kensington & Chelsea UNISON
Gateshead LG UNISON
Wolverhampton UNISON
Orchard Health UNISON
Southwark UNISON
Hemerton UNISON
South Lanarkshire UNISON
Woking UNISON
Rotherham UNISON
York City UNISON
Croydon UNISON
Bolton Salford Trafford Mental Health UNISON
Southend UNISON
Hull City UNISON
Central Bristol Health UNISON
Knowsley UNISON
Portsmouth Trades Council
Cardiff County LG UNISON
Liverpool City UNISON
Sheffield Metropolitan UNISON
Cambridge City UNISON
Dundee City UNISON
Lothian Health UNISON
Leeds LG UNISON
South Manchester Hospital UNISON
Surrey County UNISON
Dorset Health UNISON
Hounslow UNISON
UCL Hospital UNISON
FBU London Region
East Renfrewshire UNISON
St Helens & Knowsley Health UNISON
Southwest UNISON
Environment Agency UNISON
Winchester City UNISON
Northwick Park & St Marks UNISON
Greenpark Health UNISON
Hull & Lincoln Universities UNISON
Fenland District LG UNISON
Bolton Metro UNISON
Warwick District UNISON
South Somerset LG UNISON
Whittington Hospital Health UNISON
Dorset UNISON
Camden UNISON
Hastings & Eastbourne UNISON
United Utilities UNISON
Cumbria County UNISON
Sefton Health UNISON
Oxfordshire County UNISON
Isle of Wight LG UNISON
Fareham Borough UNISON
Environment Agency Thames UNISON
GLA UNISON
UWE UNISON
Ealing UNISON
Hillingdon UNISON
Cambridgeshire County UNISON
If you want to donate to ur campaign please email our branch at contactus@barnetunison.org.uk
Press Release: Support #Kids4Libraries march 12 September
Barnet UNISON Press Release: 2 September 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Support #Kids4Libraries march 12 September
On September 21st the Council will vote whether to accept one of three options for the future of Barnet Libraries. This will be an important decision for Barnet as libraries promote literacy and learning for all, provide access to information and enable people to engage as citizens in their local and wider communities. But this vital contribution is threatened as the Council’s proposals appear to have been designed not to safeguard our libraries but to wreck them.
The Council’s proposals include;
• Library staffing budget to be cut by up to 68%. It likely that even staffed libraries will not have enough workers available to maintain a sufficient level of service.
• Two or six Libraries to close
• Most remaining Libraries to be reduced in size. They could no longer house adequate book collections, or a sufficient number of computers for the public to use. There will not be enough study space to meet the needs of students.
• Libraries will be privatised or run by a “Mutual”. There will be no guarantee they will be run for public good and not for profit.
• Libraries will be unstaffed for two thirds of their opening times. Library users will have to rely on self-service machines and volunteers (if any can be found) for help. As a result of not having staff on site, children will be denied entry to the libraries for most of the day.
Adoption of any of the current options will be an act of vandalism, resulting in Barnet Libraries no longer being an inclusive, efficient and loved public service, as the accessibility and quality of the service will suffer.
This destructive plan has seen the emergence of a Save Barnet Libraries campaign which is made up of Barnet UNISON, residents and Library users.
Our next action is the Kids4Libraries march on the 12th September. More details can be found here
UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said: The current proposals would in effect have meant the end of a comprehensive public library service for the residents of Barnet. It is impossible to view these disgraceful proposals in isolation from what is going on across Council services across the UK. Councils have had their government funding cut by 40% since 2010, which is a deliberate attack on local democracy and public services. Our march is attempting to raise awareness within our community and wider afield of what is at stake. Our message to the Council is think again, Libraries are beacons within our communities which must be allowed to flourish.
“Notes to Editors.
Contact details: John Burgess Barnet UNISON on 07738389569 or 0208 359 2088 or email: john.burgess@barnetunison.org.uk
Background:
Barnet UNISON launch Thunderclap in support of 12 September march.
https://www.thunderclap.it/my/stats/30839-join-ourkids4libraries-march
Kids4Libraires march video
https://youtu.be/gb6R7M-0Kgo
“Inappropriate, over the top, dire, painful, unacceptable, unsatisfactory, restrictive and unimaginative”
http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/?q=node/1625
Barnet Council – Why is this happening to us?
http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/?q=node/1627
Local authorities ‘cannot cope with further cuts’
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/sep/01/local-government-association-cannot-cope-further-cuts