97% customer satisfaction for the In house Library Service

It was announced recently that Library Staff have achieved a 97% customer service satisfaction score in a survey of the public, the highest for any Council or Partner Service.  Last year Libraries won the Barnet Council Staff Team Award. Libraries staff  are also about to launch the  Barnet Libraries Festival while continuing to provide their regular service which not only includes the  loan of books and audio-visual items and providing information but also  running  regular activities such as story times for children, conversation sessions for English language learners and  IT  tuition  for adults.

But all this hard work is disregarded by the Council whose plans for the Library service include;

•           Library workers being “rewarded” for their hard work by a 46% cut to posts, as they are replaced by machines and volunteers.

•           Libraries having staff present for three hours a day at most (preventing access to under 16 -year-olds unaccompanied by an adult).

•           Library space   shrinking as areas are converted to commercial use. This means a cut to book stock (as there will be less shelves for them) a reduction of study space and fewer computers for the public to use.

•           The eventual privatisation of the Service which is likely to be detrimental to the pay, terms and conditions of those staff fortunate to have retained their jobs.

So the message is clear from the Council.

No matter how hard you work, no matter how high the quality of the service you provide, no matter how highly the people of Barnet regard that service, you are not valued by the Council.

But the message from Barnet UNISON is clear also.  We will;

•           Defend our Library Service and other Council services

•           Fight for Library workers and all our members’ jobs, pay, terms and conditions

•           Oppose the commercialisation of public services so that they are run for the public good and not for   private gain.