Category: Anti – Racism

Holiday Pay — Member Update

Anti - Racism, Austerity, Cost of Living Crisis, Local, UNISON Campaign

Holiday Pay — Member Update

What is this about?

For many years, the Council calculated holiday pay based on basic pay only. If you regularly worked overtime — whether that was extra shifts, weekend working, Bank Holiday rotas or other regular additional hours — that overtime was left out of your holiday pay calculation. That meant when you took a week’s leave, you were paid less than you would have earned in a normal working week.

This was wrong in law. A series of Employment Tribunal rulings — most significantly from 2014 onwards — established clearly that regular overtime must be included in holiday pay. If overtime is a regular and normal part of your working pattern, your holiday pay should reflect your normal earnings, not just your basic rate.

The Council should have corrected this from 2014. It did not do so for a significant number of workers. Barnet UNISON has been pursuing this on behalf of members and the Council has now accepted in writing that regular overtime should be included in holiday pay calculations.

Who is affected?

The workers we know are most directly affected are depot staff in Waste, Recycling, Green Waste and Street Scene. But this issue is not limited to depot workers. Any LBB employee who regularly works overtime as a normal part of their job could be affected — including staff in social services, children’s homes, libraries and other services. We have asked the Council to provide data on all affected workers across the workforce, and we are still waiting for that information.

If you regularly work overtime and have done so for a number of years, you may have a personal interest in this claim.

Where are we now?

Barnet UNISON has been in formal negotiations with the Council through the Joint Negotiating and Consultative Group. Those negotiations are now moving towards a conclusion. We expect to be in a position to consult members on a proposed offer before the summer.

When we have a formal proposal from the Council — setting out who is covered, how far back it goes, and how the figures have been calculated — we will share the full details with affected members and seek your views before anything is agreed.

We are not there yet, but we are close. Watch this space.

If you have any questions in the meantime, contact the branch at contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

End.

 

School Meals Workers — UNISON Needs to Hear From You

Anti - Racism, Austerity, Consultation, Insourcing, Local, London Living Wage, News, Schools, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

June 2026

If you work for ISS Catering in a Barnet school, please read this.

The council’s contract with ISS is coming to an end in March 2027. That does not necessarily mean your job ends — it may mean a change of employer, or it may mean staying with ISS under a new arrangement — but there will be changes, and UNISON needs to be on top of this from the start to protect your rights.

I have already been into meetings with Barnet Council management about what this means for catering staff and I will be going back in. I am pushing hard on the things that matter most — your pay, your London Living Wage, your pension, and making sure any transfer is handled properly and fairly. I am also making the case directly to the council and to elected councillors that bringing this service back in-house — so that you become council employees again — is the right thing to do. That fight is ongoing.

But I need to hear from you.

Our membership records are not always up to date, and things may have changed since many of you moved from the council to ISS back in 2016. I cannot represent you properly without knowing your current situation.

Please get in touch and let me know:

  • What job you are currently doing and which school you are based at
  • Whether your terms and conditions have changed since you moved to ISS — for example your pay, your hours, your holiday entitlement
  • Whether you are still in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) or whether your pension arrangements have changed
  • Whether your contact details or home address have changed
  • Whether you have any concerns or issues you want me to know about

Everything you tell me is treated in confidence. It comes to me directly and stays with me — I am not passing anything to ISS or to the council.

I know many of you will have questions I cannot fully answer yet. Things are still being worked out and I would rather be honest with you than give you information that turns out to be wrong. What I can tell you is that UNISON is in the room, I am attending every meeting, and your rights under TUPE mean your core terms and conditions are legally protected through any transfer.

Even if you have no concerns right now, please still get in touch with your current role and contact details. Every reply strengthens our position.

Contact Barnet UNISON directly: 📧 contactus@barnetunison.org.uk 📞 020 8359 2088

Not yet a UNISON member?

If a colleague has shared this with you and you are not yet in UNISON, now is exactly the right time to join. You can sign up at unison.org.uk/join or contact John directly and he will help you join over the phone.

End.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | June 2026 BARNET UNISON’S EQUAL PAY FIGHT: WE ARE NOT GOING AWAY

Anti - Racism, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Cost of Living Crisis, Equal Pay, Housing, Local, National, Schools, Solidarity, TBG Flex, UNISON Campaign, Your Choice Barnet

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | June 2026

BARNET UNISON’S EQUAL PAY FIGHT: WE ARE NOT GOING AWAY

Hundreds of Barnet women workers are owed years of back pay. UNISON is fighting for every one of them and the bill for Barnet Council is growing every single day.

On 29 May 2026, Barnet UNISON took its equal pay claim to the Employment Tribunal. UNISON’s solicitors made the case for hundreds of women workers — school staff, care workers, early years workers, administrators and support staff — who have for years been paid less than their male counterparts in the council’s waste and recycling service.

Here is what we know. Male workers in the waste and recycling service are paid for a full working day but are allowed to go home when their rounds are done, sometimes by mid-morning. Women doing work of equal value have no such benefit. They work every contracted hour every day. That is not fair. That is unequal and illegal. And UNISON is determined to put it right.

WHAT HAPPENED AT THE TRIBUNAL

Our barrister succeeded in getting UNISON’s case heard, despite attempts by Barnet Council  to block our submissions. Worryingly, the GMB union supported the Council’s position on this matter.  UNISON was fighting for women workers in that courtroom, making the case to get our members’ voices heard.

The judge has set a preliminary hearing for 9 September 2026 to consider UNISON’s application to have the procedural block on our claim removed.

That hearing is the next critical moment. We will be ready.

Separately, the tribunal confirmed that UNISON’s claims against The Barnet Group and Barnet Education and Learning Skills — the council’s own companies, employing many of our members — are not subject to any block and are being progressed. Those claims move forward now.

OUR CLAIM IS STRONG AND GROWING

Barnet UNISON’s case is not built on speculation. It is built on evidence — evidence that has been gathered carefully, systematically, and with the support of experienced legal specialists in equal pay law.

Here is what we know about the situation at Barnet:

  • Waste and recycling workers are regularly finishing their rounds hours before their contracted day ends and going home, paid in full.

 

  • Women working in schools, care, early years, social services and admin must complete every contracted hour. There is no equivalent benefit for them.
  • The council knows this practice exists. Rather than negotiating an end to this practice as other Councils have done, they are refusing to sit and meet with UNISON.
  • Other councils — including Southampton, Birmingham and Glasgow — have already settled equal pay claims on the same basis, paying out millions of pounds to women workers.
  • The longer Barnet Council refuses to come to the table, the bigger the bill becomes. Every single month of delay adds to the compensation owed.


“This claim is about basic fairness. Women working for Barnet Council and its companies have been short-changed for years while the council looked the other way. We have the evidence, we have the legal backing, and we have the determination to see this through. Barnet Council cannot run from this. The question is not whether they will have to pay — it is how much.”


Helen Davies, Branch Chair, Barnet UNISON and UNISON London Regional SGE Representative




A WORD ABOUT THE GMB


At the 29 May hearing, the GMB union joined with Barnet Council in resisting UNISON’s submissions.


UNISON is not interested in inter-union politics. We are interested in equality and fairness for our members. We have reached out to GMB to approach the legal process collectively.  We want to work with them.  But we will not let another union block our members’ access to justice.


UNISON will continue to fight for every member who has signed up to this claim, and we will fight for the right of every eligible worker to join it.


EVERY MONTH OF DELAY COSTS BARNET COUNCIL MORE


Barnet Council’s legal strategy appears to be delay procedural hearings; blocking applications; running down the clock. What they do not seem to understand, or perhaps do not care about, is that delay does not reduce their liability; it increases it.


Equal pay back pay accrues from the date a claim is lodged. UNISON’s claims were lodged in November and December 2025. That clock is running. Every month the council refuses to negotiate, every month they hide behind procedural manoeuvres, the total compensation bill grows. By the time this case reaches settlement or judgment, Barnet Council will be paying for every single month they delayed.


That cost is ultimately borne by Barnet taxpayers. UNISON is not responsible for that. The council is.


THIS IS YOUR CLAIM. YOUR TIME IS NOW.


UNISON has lodged claims on behalf of our members. But the strength of this campaign depends on numbers and numbers depend on you.


Every eligible UNISON member who completes a case form adds to the pressure on Barnet Council to stop stalling and sit down at the negotiating table. A large, organised, well-evidenced claim is harder to ignore and harder to fight than a small one. Barnet Council is already watching these numbers. Help us make them impossible to ignore.


Here is what you must understand about timing: your back pay runs from the date you join the claim, not from the date UNISON first raised the issue. Every month you wait is a month of potential compensation you may never recover. Do not assume someone else has done it for you. Do not assume you will be included automatically.


COMPLETE YOUR CASE FORM TODAY


Contact Barnet UNISON at contactus@barnetunison.org.uk to get your case form. Fill it in. Return it. Do it now.


If you are a UNISON member working for the London Borough of Barnet, The Barnet Group or Barnet Education and Learning Skills, and you believe you may have been affected by unequal pay, you may be eligible to join this claim. Speak to your UNISON rep or contact the branch directly.


UNISON STANDS FULLY BEHIND YOU


UNISON knows what the cost-of-living crisis means for our members. We see it every day. Workers who give everything to their jobs — caring for children, supporting families, keeping this borough running — are struggling to pay their bills, heat their homes and put food on the table. Many of Barnet UNISON’s members are among the lowest paid workers in the borough. They cannot afford to wait years for justice that should have been delivered years ago.


That is why this claim matters beyond its legal significance. The back pay owed to these workers is not a windfall. It is money they earned and were denied. It is money that would make a real difference to real lives, right now, when it is needed most.




“Barnet UNISON’s equal pay claim is exactly the kind of fight that UNISON exists to lead. These are women who have worked hard, served their community, and been systematically short-changed. UNISON’s London region stands fully behind Barnet branch and every member in this claim. We will not rest until justice is delivered.”


Sara Gorton Regional Secretary UNISON Greater London Region




“Equal pay is not a negotiating position. It is a legal right. The women of Barnet have waited long enough. UNISON is unequivocally, unconditionally and completely behind Barnet UNISON’s members and their branch in this fight. Barnet Council must stop hiding behind legal delays and do the right thing: come to the table, negotiate a fair settlement, and end this inequality now.”


Andrea Egan, UNISON General Secretary




ENDS


For further information contact Barnet UNISON Branch: contactus@barnetunison.org.uk


 


NOTES TO EDITORS


    

  1. Barnet UNISON is the UNISON branch for workers employed by the London Borough of Barnet, The Barnet Group and Barnet Education and Learning Skills.
    2. 

  2. Equal pay claims are brought under the Equality Act 2010. Back pay in Employment Tribunal equal pay claims in England and Wales runs for up to six years from the date the claim is lodged.
    3. 

  3. UNISON’s equal pay claims were lodged with the Employment Tribunal in November and December 2025.
    4. 

  4. A preliminary hearing is listed for 9 September 2026 to consider UNISON’s application to lift the procedural stay on claims against the London Borough of Barnet.
    5. 

  5. Claims against The Barnet Group and Barnet Education and Learning Skills are not subject to the stay and are being actively progressed.
    6. 

  6. Comparable equal pay settlements involving task and finish in waste and recycling services have been reached at Southampton City Council (July 2025), Birmingham City Council (2024–25) and Glasgow City Council (2022).
    7. 


			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
CLIVE LEWIS MP BACKS BARNET’S CLEANERS IN FIGHT AGAINST NORFOLK-OWNED CONTRACTOR
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Insourcing, Local, London Living Wage, News, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			


Norwich South MP writes to Norfolk County Council demanding action over Norse Group’s 12-day pay lag


Barnet UNISON has welcomed the intervention of Clive Lewis MP, Member of Parliament for Norwich South, who has written to Norfolk County Council demanding it use its ownership powers to force Norse Group to pay its lowest-paid workers on time.


Read letter to Leader of Norfolk Council RE Norse Group Clive Lewis MP


https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/26-06-04-Letter-to-Leader-of-Norfolk-Council-RE-Norse-Group-Clive-Lewis-MP.pdf


Norse Group — the largest Local Authority Trading Company in the country, wholly owned by Norfolk County Council — operates the cleaning contract for the London Borough of Barnet. The company imposes a pay arrangement that forces cleaners to wait 12 days after completing every four-week working period before receiving their wages. Norse’s own pay schedule confirms the 12-day gap applies to every single pay period throughout the year without exception.


These are London Living Wage workers in one of the most expensive cities in the world. At any given moment, Norse holds approximately six weeks’ worth of earned wages belonging to its lowest-paid staff.


Clive Lewis MP wrote to the Leader of Norfolk County Council stating:


“The lowest-paid workers on the contract are subsidising Norse’s payroll operation with 12 days of their earned wages per period. That is not an ethical business model, and it is not consistent with the values that a publicly owned company ought to embody.”


His letter directly challenges Norse’s claim that the arrangement is required for HMRC compliance, calling it a commercial and administrative choice rather than a legal requirement, and rejects the company’s suggestion that workers should take credit union loans to bridge the gap as “an indictment of the arrangement.”


Helen Davies, Branch Chair of Barnet UNISON & UNISON SGE rep for London Region, said:


“We are grateful to Clive Lewis for acting quickly and decisively. He has gone straight to the heart of the matter — Norse is owned by Norfolk County Council, and the Council cannot wash its hands of responsibility for how this company treats its workers. Norfolk created Norse, Norfolk owns Norse, and Norfolk receives an annual dividend from Norse. The workers making that dividend possible deserve to be paid on time.


“We now call on Norfolk County Council to respond without delay and direct Norse to change this arrangement — not just for our members in Barnet, but for all 1,725 Norse employees across the country subject to the same pay lag.”


Barnet UNISON has also written to all 31 Barnet Labour Councillors, the four Barnet Labour MPs, and Green Councillor Charli Thompson calling for urgent intervention and a commitment to bring the cleaning contract back in-house when it expires in 2027.


The Barnet UNISON petition calling on Norse to pay workers on time and for the cleaning service to be insourced in 2027 remains open.


✅ Sign the petition: https://www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/pay-barnet-s-cleaners-on-time-and-bring-cleaning-back-in-house?source=rawlink&utm_source=rawlink&share=67ca7052-c387-43a8-bd8f-201c05771705


ENDS


For media enquiries contact: Barnet UNISON contactus@barnetunison.org.uk


 


 

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
BARNET HOMES & YCB BALLOTS OPEN: TBG WORKERS VOTE ON NEXT STEPS IN PAY AND PENSION FIGHT
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Cost of Living Crisis, Insourcing, Local, London Living Wage, News, Pensions, Repairs, TBG Flex, UNISON Campaign, Your Choice Barnet	



	
		

			
		
					

			


Housing and care workers employed by Barnet Council-owned TBG say “we can’t keep absorbing the cost of living crisis”


Barnet UNISON has opened two separate consultative ballots for members employed by The Barnet Group (TBG) — the council-owned company that delivers key services on behalf of the London Borough of Barnet.


The ballots cover:


    

  • Barnet Homes (Housing Services) workers, and
    • 

  • Your Choice Barnet (Adult Social Care) care and support workers.
    • 



The ballots follow TBG’s rejection of UNISON’s claims on pay, terms and conditions, and access to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). UNISON says the vote is needed to show management — and the council as owner and commissioner — that workers expect a serious response to the cost of living crisis.


A Barnet Homes housing worker said :


“People think housing is just admin. It isn’t. You’re dealing with residents in crisis, rising workload and constant pressure. Then you go home and you’re doing the same sums everyone else is doing — rent, bills, travel, food — and it doesn’t add up. The stress doesn’t switch off. It affects your head, your sleep, your family.”


A Your Choice Barnet care worker said :


“We support vulnerable adults every day. It’s physical work and it takes a toll mentally as well. But the hardest part is knowing you’re working flat out and still worrying about money — choosing between basics, falling behind, borrowing, trying to hold it together for your kids. This isn’t sustainable.”


Helen Davies, Barnet UNISON Branch Chair and UNISON SGE representative for London, said:


“These workers keep essential housing and care services running in one of the most expensive cities in the world. They are not asking for the moon — they are asking for fairness: decent pay, decent terms and access to LGPS. TBG is owned by Barnet Council, and Barnet Council cannot wash its hands of what happens to the workforce delivering its services. The ballots are open because members’ voices must be heard — and because the current situation is pushing too many working families towards hardship.”


Call to action:

Barnet UNISON is urging all eligible members in Barnet Homes and Your Choice Barnet to take part and return their ballot papers.


For media enquiries: contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
TBG rejects UNISON cost-of-living claims for housing and care workers
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Housing, Insourcing, Local, News, Pensions, Solidarity, TBG Flex, UNISON Campaign, Your Choice Barnet	



	
		

			
		
					

			


Employer admits financial pressure — but refuses pay, terms and LGPS improvements for Barnet Homes and Your Choice Barnet staff.


Barnet UNISON has received The Barnet Group’s formal response to our pay, terms and pension claims for workers in Barnet Homes (housing services) and Your Choice Barnet (adult social care). The headline is clear: TBG has rejected the claims.


These are frontline workers keeping essential services running in one of the most expensive cities in the world — supporting vulnerable adults, dealing with housing pressures, and carrying rising workloads. UNISON submitted the claims because members are being squeezed hard by the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and years of pay falling behind real living costs.


Key points from TBG’s response


    

  • TBG says Your Choice Barnet is forecasting a £824k loss this year and will have negative retained earnings rising to £2.048m.
    • 

  • TBG says Barnet Homes’ management fee will be cut by £2.763m (6%) from April 2026, and argues this limits what it can agree.
    • 

  • TBG has costed the key parts of the union claim and still concludes it is “not able to agree”.
    • 

  • Their own figures show a £15/hour minimum for Barnet Homes would cost £14,150 and affect 27 staff — yet they still refuse the claim overall.
    • 



Helen Davies, Barnet UNISON Branch Chair and UNISON SGE rep, said:


“Our members are not numbers on a spreadsheet. They are the housing workers and care staff holding services together every day. TBG’s response is basically ‘we can’t’ — while staff are being asked to cope with rising prices and worsening pressure at work. That’s not good enough. If these services matter, the workforce has to be treated with basic fairness: decent pay, decent terms, and a proper pension.”


What happens next


Barnet UNISON will now consult members on the employer’s response and the next steps in our campaign.


Read TBG full response here: https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026.03.24-TBG-response-to-Barnet-UNISON-Cost-of-Living-Crisis-claims.pdf


 


End.

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
PRESS RELEASE: Barnet UNISON demands fair pay for outsourced cleaners: end delayed wages and implement London Living Wage from announcement date
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, News, Report, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			


Barnet UNISON demands fair pay for outsourced cleaners: end delayed wages and implement London Living Wage from announcement date


Barnet UNISON is calling on the London Borough of Barnet (LBB) and its contractor Norse to end unfair pay practices affecting outsourced cleaners — including delayed wage payments and the six-month delay many contractors apply before implementing the new London Living Wage (LLW) rate.


The union’s call follows testimony from a cleaner working on a Council contract who described the daily reality of trying to raise a family in London on the LLW during the cost-of-living crisis.


“Food is so expensive now. Sometimes it’s hard to buy even basic food — and it’s even harder when you have children… On top of that I have to find money for gas and electricity… Sometimes I have to borrow money from family.”


The cleaner also highlighted what Barnet UNISON describes as a stark two-tier system, where outsourced workers are treated differently from colleagues employed directly by the Council:


“It’s unfair that my employer holds onto my pay for another 12 days before they pay me. I’m working alongside council workers who get their pay at the end of the month… Why are we treated differently?”


Concern over Norse Group pay schedule


Barnet UNISON has written to the Chief Executive of the Norse Group, a local authority trading company owned by Norfolk County Council, which holds the contract to provide cleaning services for Barnet Council.


Norse Group states publicly that it aims to “improve people’s lives”, deliver “ethical profit for the public sector”, and “invest in our people” through recruitment, training, and retention.


However, Barnet UNISON says the pay arrangements for cleaners on the Barnet contract do not reflect those values. Based on Norse’s published four-weekly pay schedule, cleaners can be paid 10–12 days after the end of the pay period — meaning many are already well into the next working period before receiving wages they have already earned.


In its letter to Norse Group’s Chief Executive, Barnet UNISON urged an urgent intervention to end the practice and move to prompt pay dates.


London Living Wage should be paid when it is announced


Barnet UNISON is also calling for a procurement change at LBB: a requirement that the LLW uplift is implemented from the date it is announced, rather than being delayed until 1 April. The LLW is typically announced in October, leaving workers waiting roughly six months for pay increases designed to help them meet living costs.


As the cleaner put it:


“Prices don’t wait six months. Rent doesn’t wait. Food doesn’t wait. Gas and electricity don’t wait. If the London Living Wage is the rate people need to live on, then it should be paid from the moment it’s announced.”


Barnet UNISON’s demands


Barnet UNISON is calling for:


    

  1. An end to delayed wage payments on outsourced contracts — wages should be paid promptly at the end of the pay period (or as close as reasonably possible), not held back for over a week.
    2. 

  2. A contractual clause in all future outsourced contracts requiring the new London Living Wage rate to be implemented from the announcement date, not months later.
    3. 

  3. Clear contract monitoring and enforcement, so contractors that want to win or retain LBB work must meet basic fair work standards.
    4. 



Statement from Barnet UNISON Branch Chair


Helen Davies Branch Chair of Barnet UNISON, said:


“Our cleaners keep Barnet’s buildings safe, clean and working — yet many are among the lowest paid workers connected to Council services. In a cost-of-living crisis, it is simply unacceptable for any contractor to delay paying people what they have already earned, or to delay implementing the London Living Wage uplift for months after it is announced.


Barnet UNISON is proud to stand with our outsourced members. We are calling on Norse Group and Barnet Council to act now: end delayed pay practices, implement the LLW from the announcement date, and ensure every contract reflects fair treatment and dignity at work.”


Notes to editors


    

  • Barnet UNISON is the recognised trade union representing Barnet Council staff and many outsourced workers delivering Council services.
    • 

  • The worker quoted is anonymous to protect their identity.
    • 

  • Norse Group is a local authority trading company owned by Norfolk County Council and operates through partnerships and joint ventures with councils.
    • 



Media contact:

Barnet UNISON

contactus@barnetunison.org.uk


ENDS


 


 

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
A London Cleaner’s Reality on Barnet Councils outsourced cleaning contract : Working Hard, Still Struggling
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Health and Safety, Local, London Living Wage, News, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			


I’m a cleaner on a Council contract. I’m proud of the work I do — it matters. But I want people to understand what it’s really like trying to live and raise a family in London on the London Living Wage.


When people talk about the cost-of-living crisis, it can sound like something on the news. For me, it’s everyday life.


Food is so expensive now. Sometimes it’s hard to buy even basic food. And it’s even harder when you have children — they’re hungry all the time, and you can’t just tell them to wait. You do everything you can to make it work, but it never feels like enough.


Then there are clothes. Children grow so fast and they still need what everyone else needs: shoes that fit, warm coats, school things. On top of that I have to find money for gas and electricity. Those bills don’t stop. They don’t care what you earn.


Sometimes I have to borrow money from family. That’s not easy. It’s embarrassing and it’s painful, because you want to stand on your own feet. But when everything costs more and your wages stay the same, you end up with no choice.


What makes it even harder is the way we’re treated at work compared to other people around us.


It’s unfair that my employer holds onto my pay for another 12 days before they pay me. I’m working alongside council workers who get their pay at the end of the month. They don’t have to wait for the wages they’ve earned. Why are we treated differently?


We’re doing our jobs. We’re turning up. We’re keeping places clean, safe and working properly. But we are the lowest paid staff — and everything is made that much harder for us.


We only get the London Living Wage. We don’t get sick pay. That means if I’m ill, or if something happens, it’s not just a health worry — it becomes a money worry too. You start thinking, “If I can’t work, how will I pay bills? How will I buy food?” That’s not how anyone should have to live.


And another thing that doesn’t feel right is the delay in getting the London Living Wage increase. The new rate is announced in October, but a lot of employers don’t bring it in until 1 April. That’s about six months of waiting.


But prices don’t wait six months. Rent doesn’t wait. Food doesn’t wait. Gas and electricity don’t wait. If the London Living Wage is the rate people need to live on, then it should be paid from the moment it’s announced — not half a year later.


London is an expensive city. I work hard. I’m not asking for special treatment. I just want fairness — and to be treated like my council worker colleagues. I want to be paid on time. I want proper sick pay. And I want the London Living Wage paid when it’s announced, because that’s when families like mine actually need it.


That’s why I support Barnet UNISON’s campaign to make sure Council contracts include a clause so the new London Living Wage rate is applied from the announcement date — not months later. Because people like me shouldn’t have to struggle this much just to get by.


 


End.


 

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 27 January 2026  Your Choice Barnet care workers demand fair pay, fair terms and access to LGPS — “time to end this injustice”
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Barnet Group, Disability, Local, News, Solidarity, TBG Flex, UNISON Campaign, Your Choice Barnet	



	
		

			
		
					

			


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

27 January 2026


Your Choice Barnet care workers demand fair pay, fair terms and access to LGPS — “time to end this injustice”


Barnet UNISON has submitted a formal Pay and Terms & Conditions claim to The Barnet Group (TBG) on behalf of workers delivering adult social care through Your Choice Barnet, including staff on YCB contracts and “TBG Flex” contracts.


The union says the claim is aimed at ending a long-running “two-tier workforce”, where care and support workers delivering publicly commissioned services are not on council terms and conditions and do not have access to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).




What Your Choice Barnet workers are demanding (from 1 April 2026)


The claim, submitted for the 2026/27 period, includes:


PAY


An increase of £3,000 or 10% (whichever is greater) across pay points/rates


A £15 per hour minimum rate for all staff


Applied consistently to overtime, sleep-ins/unsocial hours payments, enhancements, allowances and other pay-related payments, with no detrimental changes to existing arrangements


TERMS & CONDITIONS


A two-hour reduction in the standard working week with no loss of pay, implemented in a way that protects service users and staffing levels Harmonisation to a standard 36 hour contract


One additional day of annual leave


ENDING THE TWO-TIER WORKFORCE


A commitment to move Your Choice Barnet staff onto equivalent core terms and conditions to Barnet Council/NJC standards


A single, transparent pay structure with clear progression, equality-proofed arrangements, covering all staff including those on TBG Flex contracts


PENSIONS


Access to the LGPS, including a route-map meeting with stakeholders (TBG, Barnet Pension Fund/LBB as administering authority, and UNISON), and no detriment to staff


Barnet UNISON has requested a formal negotiation meeting and has given management four weeks to respond.




“Care workers are being exploited in one of the most expensive cities in the world”


Helen Davies, Barnet UNISON Branch Chair and UNISON SGE representative, said:


“Your Choice Barnet staff provide vital care and support to vulnerable adults, yet many are treated as second-class compared to council employees delivering public services. Keeping care workers outside council terms and conditions and excluding them from the Local Government Pension Scheme is unfair — and it amounts to exploitation of a predominantly low-paid workforce.


“This is London, one of the most expensive cities in the world. People who deliver life-changing care should not be forced to do so on worse terms and without a proper public service pension.


“It’s time to end this injustice. Barnet UNISON’s claim is straightforward: fair pay, fair conditions, and access to LGPS for the care workers who keep services going every day. We are calling on The Barnet Group to negotiate seriously and reach a fair settlement.”


Notes to editors


    

  • Your Choice Barnet delivers adult social care services on behalf of the London Borough of Barnet and is part of The Barnet Group.
    • 

  • Barnet UNISON represents care and support staff across Barnet, including staff employed by The Barnet Group and its subsidiaries.
    • 

  • The claim applies to Your Choice Barnet staff, including those on TBG contracts and “TBG Flex” contracts.
    • 



Contact


For more information, interviews, or to support the campaign:

Barnet UNISON – contactus@barnetunison.org.uk


End. 


2026.01.07 leaflet (YCB)

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
Barnet Homes (Housing Services): UNISON pay & terms claim being submitted next week
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Local, Solidarity, TBG Flex, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			


Barnet UNISON is preparing to submit a collective Pay & Terms and Conditions claim for Barnet Homes (Housing Services) staff for 2026/27.


Important: as of today, Wednesday 21 January, the claim has not been submitted.

We are giving members advance notice so you’re clear on the timetable and what happens next.


What’s happening and when


    

  • Next step: Barnet UNISON will submit the claim to management next Tuesday, 26 January, ahead of the scheduled JNCC meeting.
    • 

  • After the JNCC: We will share the full details of the claim with members and publish an update on the outcomes of the meeting and next steps.
    • 



Why UNISON is doing this


Members have been clear that we need a serious, collective push on pay, terms and conditions and fair treatment for the Barnet Homes (Housing Services) workforce. UNISON is acting on that instruction by bringing forward a formal claim for 2026/27.


What you can expect from UNISON


    

  • A clear members’ briefing after the JNCC meeting on 26 January
    • 

  • A summary of management’s response and what it means in practice
    • 

  • Next-step plans, including how members can support the claim and strengthen our negotiating position
    • 



What you can do now


    

  • Make sure your contact details are up to date so you receive the members’ briefing.
    • 

  • Encourage colleagues in Barnet Homes (Housing Services) to join UNISON and get involved — the stronger our membership, the stronger our leverage.
    • 



We’ll publish the claim details and a members’ update immediately after the JNCC meeting on Tuesday 26 January.


End.

			

		

		
		


	

			  

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