Latest attack on UNISON by a Conservative councillor

Conservative Councillor Gordon speaking at Safeguarding Overview and Scrutiny Committee 27.11.2013

Video clip is here http://youtu.be/ko-QvCBAMCY

Below is a transcript from the above video clip.

I minute into this video he starts…….

“theres a huge trade union input into what is going on into the objections. Whereas we live in a free society and people are entitled to express their views there’s no doubt that some of the views have been expressed in a very sincere and genuine & personal way and I would also endorse that mood by members of the committee. I am very sceptical about the trade union input because we know…we know unions have their own agenda which is a political agenda and are known …unions are known to have a left wing agenda…I suspect that whereas there are some very genuine criticism to be made a lot of those criticisms are a little bit politically motivated. I will view them in that rather suspicious way.

Updated Key Facts

UNISON have been informed the LBB annual Council staff pay bill 2013/14 (excluding schools) is approximately £55,000,000

The current Trade Union Facility Time (UNISON & GMB) cost for 2013/14 is £112,000

The proposed cut of £80,000 in Trade Union Facility Time for 2014/15 leaves £32,000

The Trade Union Facility Time as % of pay bill in 2013/14 equates to 0.20%

The Trade Union Facility Time as % of pay bill in 2014/15 equates to 0.06%

The reduction of 80K for 2014/15 from 112K represents massive 71.4% cut from the current (2013/14) budget.

Trade Union Facility time has already been cut by 66% from the level agreed under the former Barnet Council Conservative Leader Mike Freer.

On 1 April 2014 all facility time will be removed from Barnet UNISON.