Privatisation is all the rage in central government as they swing the axe at public services, with budget cuts, the Localism Bill and the Open Public White Paper.  But the failures of outsourcing are becoming more obvious in local government and new research for UNISON by APSE highlights eight detailed case studies where councils have taken services back in-house to make them better and cheaper.

 “Insourcing update: The value of returning local authority services in-house in an era of budget constraints” sets out the financial advantages of “insourcing”, to help branches oppose privatisation proposals and build a case for current outsourcings to be brought to an end.  It also gives a step-by-step guide to taking services back in-house.

Survey results in the report show that the case studies are not isolated examples.  60% of council officers surveyed said the need to improve efficiency and reduce service costs had led them to consider bringing services back in-house. After cost, 44% of respondents said there was a need to improve service quality.

 

The financial benefit obviously depends on the size of the service involved, but 13% of respondents expected savings of up to £25,000 a year.  A further 8% reported savings of up to £250,000, 6% said £500,000 and 5% said £1 million could be saved per year.  Other advantages of insourcing included flexibility (64% of respondents), greater local responsibility (52%), improved staff morale (33%) and better terms and conditions (25%).

 

This publication builds on research in 2009 which highlighted 50 examples of councils’ insourcing services (see www.apse.org.uk/page-flips/2011/insourcing/files/in-sourcing.pdf).

 

You can read the report online here

 

Dear Colleagues

It has come to our attention that the Councils attempts to break the action short of strike have been escalated. The Council is seeking staff in Revs & Bens to break the strike by coming in to work overtime this Saturday. Any staff working overtime are being asked to sign this statement

 

“Overtime Proforma

In agreeing to work overtime on Saturday 13 August 2011, I understand that this means I am giving notice that I no longer intend to participate in the industrial action outlined in the notification of my Trade Union to (Unison) to LBB on 9 June 2011 and which started on 16 June 2011. 

 

For the sake of clarity this means I will agree to work overtime and amend my hours of attendance (subject to any personal commitments) as I did prior to the current period of industrial action, and I will agree to attend meetings and/or undertake work related to the One Barnet project.”

 

This crass attempt to undermine the actions of our members in Revs & Bens is unacceptable and more evidence as to why members across all the balloted services have called for strike action in September.

 

We are organising pickets lines for this Saturday, if you can help please contact the UNISON office on 0208 359 2088 or email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

 

Help to build to build for strike action on Barnet Independence Day 13 September.

 

Best wishes

John Burgess

Branch Secretary.

Barnet UNISON

Standing up for staff and public services

Not for onward transmission in whole or part without permission

Barnet Council made plans late this week to use agency workers to break the work to rule being taken by UNISON members in Revs and Bens.

Initial estimates were that up to 40 agency workers would be paid to come in on Saturday morning.

I can report no agency workers turned up today.

Well done to our members by responding so quickly and a big thanks to Barnet Alliance who also came along.

13 September

Barnet Independence Day

View here 

Barnet UNISON members working in the following areas:

Trading Standards & Licensing, Land Charges, Planning & Development, Building Control & Structures, Registration (Births, Deaths & Marriages) Environmental Health, Highways Strategy, Highways Network Management, Highways Traffic & Development, Highways Transport & Regeneration, Strategic Planning & Regeneration, Cemeteries & Crematoria;, Parking Services, Revs & Bens,

have informed the branch through a number of workplaces meetings that they wish to escalate the action. They do not believe the Council is taking the Trades Dispute seriously.

Members have therefore requested that a programme of strike action be agreed to take place over the next few months.

They have asked that the first wave of action to take place on Tuesday 13 September which will be now known as ‘Barnet Independence Day’

Further details of the action will be discussed with members in due course.

* If the Council provides a meaningful proposal to the Trades Dispute we will consider postponing the action whilst we consult with our members.

Keep Public Services Public

Southampton workers taking the lead in the fight back

To view click

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Dear Councillors

I understand that August is the time for you all to take a break.

I am enclosing some potential summer holiday reading material.

It is a report published by the Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) entitled ‘Public Administration Committee – Twelfth Report  Government and IT- “A Recipe For Rip-Offs”:

The report was discussed on the BBC Today programme yesterday I was struck by the comment made by Conservative chair of the committee Bernard Jenkin MP speaking on the Today Programme

 

“The Government has said that it is overly reliant on an “oligopoly” of suppliers; some witnesses went further and described the situation as a ‘cartel.’ Whatever we call the situation it has led to an inexcusable situation that sees governments waste an obscene amount of public money.”

 

“Committee chairman, Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin, said that according to some sources, the government had paid contractors between seven and 10 times more than the standard rate.”

 

“The last Labour government spent £16bn in IT projects in 2009.”

 

“It warned: “The lack of IT skills in government and over-reliance on contracting out is a fundamental problem which has been described as a ‘recipe for rip-offs’.”

 

“IT procurement has too often resulted in late, over-budget IT systems that are not fit for purpose.”

 UNISON is not alone in making the parallels with the One Barnet programme where Council services are being bundled together in order they are delivered by a big multinational organisations some of whom are likely to be providing services to government. I am sure expensive consultants were brought into advise politicians that contracts with the ‘big boys’ would deliver innovation, efficiency and improves services.; this independent report clearly proves otherwise. Paying ten times the going rate is inexcusable, but you have to ask yourself how did this happen and why was it not picked up? These companies knew what going on but appear to have no scruples about taking extortionate amounts of public money at a time when the public services are having to make massive cuts.

Enjoy the break 

Best wishes

John Burgess

Branch Secretary.

Barnet UNISON

Standing up for staff and public services

Not for onward transmission in whole or part without permission

Yesterday the Government Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) published this report the title of the report (their words not mine!)

“Government and IT- “A Recipe For Rip-Offs”:

Here are a few quotes from the report

One of the report’s recurring themes is the dominance of Government IT by a small number of large companies.

Bernard Jenkin commented:

“The Government has said that it is overly reliant on an “oligopoly” of suppliers; some witnesses went further and described the situation as a ‘cartel.’ Whatever we call the situation it has led to an inexcusable situation that sees governments waste an obscene amount of public money.”

“Committee chairman, Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin, said that according to some sources, the government had paid contractors between seven and 10 times more than the standard rate.”

“The last Labour government spent £16bn in IT projects in 2009.”

 “It warned: “The lack of IT skills in government and over-reliance on contracting out is a fundamental problem which has been described as a ‘recipe for rip-offs’.”

“IT procurement has too often resulted in late, over-budget IT systems that are not fit for purpose.”

You can read the damning report here

You really could not make it up!

To sum up the report the government has been ripped off by the private sector (what a surprise!)

M They have placed contracts worth £16billion a year in the hand of the ‘Big Boys’ (please take note Barnet Homes!)

M They have been paying 10 times the going rate for the work (Please take note One Barnet fans).

M Poor Procurement often resulted in late, over-budget IT systems that are not fit for purpose (please take note One Barnet fans).

£16 billion a year. Incredible, remember that figure when your pension is being attacked or your job is threatened by cuts to funding or privatisation. How can politicians stand up in front of cameras; when they can’t put their own house in order!

If the above report is true we are the tax payer are paying to line the pockets of the private sector and at the same time being asked to take a cuts to our pensions, redundancy or cuts to our terms and conditions.

Speaking on the Today Programme the committee’s chair Bernard Jenkin said the Government have outsourced too many IT projects and that there has been “too cosy” a relationship with big IT firms

One Barnet programme is systematically bundling up Council services and putting out to the market to deliver them.

If someone would like to explain why One Barnet is different to the above please send in your response and UNISON will publish.

The Pensions war is ongoing and there is a lot of disinformation coming from the media.

UNISON have published an excellent briefing for members.

To view click here

This evening Cabinet Committee considers the Library Strategic Review at Hendon Town Hall at 7 pm.

Please find enclosed report sent to all councillors

 

“

Dear Councillors

Please find enclosed UNISON response to the Library Strategic Review. I think it is a balanced response to the review.

Recommendations:

1.No library branches to be closed, since there is demonstrable support both nationally and locally that the current number of branches remain in place. Also, there are currently legal challenges in regard to Gloucestershire under the 1964 Museum and Libraries Act. The High Court has imposed an injunction on the disposal of library buildings in Gloucestershire and Barnet should therefore respect this status quo until a ruling has been made.

 

2.If there closures are to be made these should not take place until the plans for any projected replacements are fully funded, signed and agreed by the council.

 

3.         That no further alteration in the ratio of public-facing and back-office functions take place, and that no posts be deleted until it can be demonstrated that the current levels of service be maintained.

 

4.The methodology, quantitative and qualitative data of the consultations is fully shared with the staff’s representatives.  Should the quantities of respondents to the consultation requesting changes to the service (e.g. longer opening hours) equal or be less than the numbers indicating they wish to save their libraries from closure, through the consultation and petitions, equal regard should be given to these numbers.

 

5.The management fully negotiate guidelines, policies and procedures regarding the use of volunteers and with specific reference to the issues of safeguarding and data protection with the trade unions, and that no volunteer be taken on until those negotiations reach a satisfactory conclusion.

 

6.Before any further changes to the Library Service are shared with the public, agreement should be reached through negotiation with the trade unions regarding changes that impact on the staff’s current hours and working practices

 7.         Staff at libraries directly affected by the implementation of the Library Strategy are provided with full information about their future terms & conditions and locations.

To view full report click here “

Best wishes

John Burgess

Branch Secretary.

Barnet UNISON

Standing up for staff and public services