Category: Anti – Racism

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Barnet UNISON pushes for immediate London Living Wage uplift — “our members can’t wait six months”

Anti - Racism, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Local, News, Solidarity, TBG Flex, UNISON Campaign, Your Choice Barnet

London, 31 October 2025 — Barnet UNISON is relentlessly pursuing the urgent implementation of the new London Living Wage (LLW) of £14.80 for all workers delivering Barnet Council services — now, not in six months’ time.

The union has formally written to every Council officer responsible for outsourced contracts — including Cleaning (Norse), Social Care (Your Choice Barnet), Security (Blue Nine), Parking Enforcement (APCOA), and Schools Catering (ISS) — urging them to instruct their contractors to uplift pay with immediate effect in line with the Living Wage Foundation’s new London rate.

Helen Davies, Branch Chair, Barnet UNISON, said:
“Delaying the £14.80 London Living Wage until April means months more of avoidable hardship for low-paid staff who keep services running for Barnet residents. Our members are already making impossible choices — cutting back on heating, skipping meals, falling behind on rent — in one of the most expensive capital cities in the world. The uplift is needed now to protect health, dignity and service quality.”

Barnet UNISON says the case for immediate action is overwhelming. Households are still facing elevated energy bills, rising rents, and ongoing increases in food prices. Implementing £14.80 now would provide urgent relief, help retain experienced staff, reduce agency churn, and protect continuity of frontline services across Barnet.

Barnet UNISON’s call to action

  • Apply £14.80 LLW now across all relevant contracts and subcontractors.
  • Confirm a short, time-bound implementation plan and back-pay arrangements.
  • Work with Barnet UNISON to resolve any operational barriers quickly.

ENDS

Media contact:
Email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

Notes to editors:

  • The Living Wage Foundation announced the 2025–26 London Living Wage of £14.80 on 22 October 2025 and expects accredited employers to implement as soon as possible (deadline 1 May 2026). (livingwage.org.uk)
  • Energy bills: Ofgem’s price cap for 1 Oct–31 Dec 2025 is £1,755 for a typical dual-fuel household — up on the previous quarter and still well above pre-crisis levels. (Ofgem)
  • Rents: ONS reports UK private rents up about 5–6% year-on-year; London’s rental inflation was 5.3% in the 12 months to September 2025. Average rent remains highest in London. (Office for National Statistics)
  • Food prices: The annual inflation rate for food and non-alcoholic beverages was 4.5% in September 2025 (ONS). Prices are still rising year-on-year even as the rate eases. (Office for National Statistics)
  • Cost of living in London: Mercer’s 2024 Cost of Living City Ranking places London 8th globally, underscoring persistent affordability pressures in the capital. (Mercer)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Barnet UNISON urges The Barnet Group to implement new London Living Wage now

Anti - Racism, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Local, Solidarity, TBG Flex, UNISON Campaign, Your Choice Barnet

London, 31 October 2025 — Barnet UNISON has written to The Barnet Group (TBG) calling for the immediate implementation of the new London Living Wage of £14.80 for all eligible staff, rather than waiting until 1 April.

Barnet UNISON says the cost-of-living crisis is continuing to hit low-paid workers hard and that bringing in the uplift now would provide urgent relief for key frontline staff who support Barnet residents every day.

Helen Davies Barnet UNISON Branch Chair, said:
“Delaying the £14.80 London Living Wage until April means months more of avoidable hardship for the lowest-paid staff in one of the most expensive cities in the world. Our members are telling us they’re choosing between heating and eating. Implementing the new rate now is the right, fair and practical step—and it will also help retain experienced staff and sustain services for residents.”

In its letter to TBG’s Chief Executive, Barnet UNISON requests:

  • Applying the £14.80 London Living Wage with the next available payroll; and
  • A clear timetable to uplift relevant contracted workers within TBG’s control in line with Living Wage commitments.

Barnet UNISON has asked to meet urgently with TBG to agree the implementation plan.

ENDS

Media contact:
Barnet UNISON contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

Notes to editors:

  • The London Living Wage is an independently calculated hourly rate based on the real cost of living in the capital.
  • The new rate is £14.80, up from £13.85.
  • Barnet UNISON represents workers across The Barnet Group delivering housing and support services to residents.

 

PRESS RELEASE: Equal Pay Momentum Builds in Barnet – Care and School Staff Sign Up in Their Hundreds

Anti - Racism, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Local, National, TBG Flex, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign, Your Choice Barnet

 

Barnet UNISON has revealed a surge of support for its Equal Pay campaign, with hundreds of care workers and school support staff already signed up and hundreds more contacting the branch to join the claim.

Across Barnet’s schools, care homes, and community services, women workers are taking action to protect their legal rights to equal pay.
UNISON says that the growing number of sign-ups shows the level of frustration among staff who have seen their real pay fall while the cost of living continues to rise.

Helen Davies, Branch Chair of Barnet UNISON, said:
“Our members have seen what’s happened in Southampton and Sheffield — ordinary council workers winning millions in back pay.
Now Barnet’s care workers and school staff are saying loud and clear: we deserve fairness too.”

The Equal Pay campaign has seen record engagement, with UNISON visiting schools and care workplaces across the borough to help staff complete their case forms and understand their rights under the Equality Act.

Helen Davies added:
“This is just the beginning.
Every week more members are signing up because they know that in a cost-of-living crisis, no one can afford to miss out on what they’re owed.”

📅 Equal Pay Surgeries: Every Tuesday in October
📍 UNISON Office, Colindale
📧 contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

END.

 

 

 

 

 

Barnet UNISON urges Council to pause welfare cut — Labour councillors and Barnet’s four Labour MPs asked to intervene

Anti - Racism, Austerity, Local, News, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

Barnet UNISON has today written to all Labour councillors and the four Labour MPs for Barnet constituencies, calling on them to stop a proposed cut to the Council’s Welfare Team during the height of the cost-of-living crisis.

The Council has opened a 30-day consultation (9 September–8 October 2025) to delete one full-time (36 hours) Income Maximisation Officer (Grade G) — a low-paid, high-impact frontline role that helps residents access benefits and emergency support, manage debt, and keep up with Council Tax.

Barnet UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said:

“This is a small saving with a huge human cost. Cutting frontline welfare capacity in the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades means longer waits, fewer successful benefit claims and more arrears. We’re asking councillors and MPs to back a pause and protect residents.”

What UNISON is asking for

  1. Pause the restructure and any redundancy selection until after autumn national announcements on crisis-support funding/administration, so Barnet can align staffing to the confirmed model.
  2. Fix the Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) — complete and accurate data on staff and service users, with concrete mitigations, before any decision.
  3. Transparency and fairness in any selection process: publish the scoring matrix; ensure fair treatment for part-time staff; allow union observation.
  4. A workload & service-risk assessment (phones, casework, outreach) showing how residents’ needs will be met if capacity is cut.
  5. Redeployment first: priority placement and retraining into suitable roles; freeze external recruitment to relevant posts until at-risk staff are placed.
  6. Alternatives to redundancy: temporary bridging (including available admin funding), voluntary hours reductions, and reductions in agency/consultancy spend to preserve this low-cost post.

Why this matters

Income Maximisation Officers:

  • support residents to secure welfare entitlements, Discretionary Housing Payments, Council Tax Support/Discretionary Relief, Resident Support Fund, and related help;
  • provide debt and budgeting advice, complete complex forms, and carry out home visits for vulnerable residents;
  • help residents manage and pay Council Tax, preventing arrears and homelessness and reducing knock-on costs across services.

Management has acknowledged that additional posts were made permanent despite insecure funding in 2023. Proceeding now would reduce outreach to “ad-hoc” only and risks deleting experienced capacity just as national crisis-support arrangements are being redesigned.

John Burgess added:

“Our ask is simple: pause, fix the EqIA, and work with us on non-redundancy options. Protecting one Grade G post protects thousands of Barnet residents from falling through the cracks.”



Notes to Editors


    

  • Consultation window: 9 September–8 October 2025.
    • 

  • Proposal: delete 1.0 FTE (36 hours) Income Maximisation Officer (Grade G) in the Welfare Team.
    • 

  • Decision route: Chief Officer delegated powers following consultation.
    • 

  • Service impact: reduced capacity for benefits access, emergency support, Council Tax help, and outreach to the most deprived neighbourhoods.
    • 

  • UNISON has formally raised concerns that the EqIA is incomplete/inaccurate and lacks practical mitigations.
    • 



 

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
Holiday Pay and Overtime – UNISON requests meeting over pay.
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Local, News, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			
Barnet UNISON has now formally requested a negotiation meeting with Barnet Council to resolve the issue of staff being underpaid holiday pay on overtime.


The Basis of the Claim


Since 2014, case law (Bear Scotland v Fulton) has made clear that holiday pay must reflect normal remuneration, including regular overtime. This was confirmed again in Flowers v East of England Ambulance Trust (2019) and written into law through the Employment Rights (Amendment, Revocation and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2023, which came fully into effect in April 2025.


Barnet Council only started paying holiday pay that included overtime from April 2025. That means staff who regularly worked overtime before then were underpaid for years.


How Far Back Does This Go?


Although legal claims in the Employment Tribunal are time-limited, the right itself has existed since 2014. UNISON’s position is that this must be recognised in negotiations. Staff have lost out for over a decade — and justice demands a fair settlement.


Capita’s Role


From October 2013, payroll and HR services were outsourced to Capita. It was their responsibility to ensure payroll complied with the law following the Bear Scotland judgment in 2014. Barnet Council, as the employer, must put this right for staff — and if Capita failed in its duties, the Council should recoup the costs from them, not deny staff their pay.


Our Demands


    

  • A collective compensation payment for staff who regularly worked overtime but did not receive correct holiday pay before April 2025.
    • 

  • Full transparency: a list of all job roles across Barnet Council where staff have worked regular overtime.
    • 

  • Future guarantees that holiday pay will always include overtime, in line with the law.
    • 



Next Steps for Staff


If you are an LBB employee and have regularly worked overtime, this affects you.


Please email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk for more information and to ensure you are included in our campaign.


Together we can make Barnet Council pay staff what they are owed.


In solidarity,


Barnet UNISON.


End.

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
PRESS RELEASE: Barnet UNISON: We Will Not Be Silenced by Facility Time Cuts
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Health and Safety, Local, News, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			


On 1 August 2025, Barnet Council went ahead with a 33% cut to Barnet UNISON’s facility time.


This is an attack on our ability to support, defend, and organise our members. It is a political choice that takes us back to Tory-era cuts, at precisely the moment when staff are under the most pressure.


What the cut means for members


Facility time is what allows us to:


    

  • Represent members being bullied, harassed or disrespected at work
    • 

  • Defend those facing disciplinary investigations and dismissal
    • 

  • Support members who are not being paid properly
    • 

  • Take on cases of discrimination and racism
    • 

  • Challenge unsafe workloads, stress and health & safety risks
    • 



With a 33% cut, our ability to respond will be slowed down. Members may wait longer for casework support. Some of the key meetings and consultations we should be present in will be harder to attend.


But let’s be crystal clear: this cut will not gag Barnet UNISON. We will continue to speak out and fight back against the appalling issues our members face every single day.


The wider context


This cut comes when:


The Council has just come through a financial crisis so severe it applied for Exceptional Financial Support (EFS).


Consultants such as PeopleToo are embedded in the Council, planning further restructures and potential redundancies.


UNISON has confirmed a major Equal Pay case, which we are pursuing to protect the rights and pay of our lowest-paid workers.


Our branch is leading campaigns to defend frontline services, stop unsafe workloads, resist outsourcing, and protect the rights of disabled staff.


In other words, the demand on UNISON is growing—yet the Council has chosen to reduce the time we have to represent staff.


Our response


We are not naïve. We know the impact of this cut will be felt in longer waits, heavier workloads for our reps, and an increase in pressure. But this branch has been here before. We survived outsourcing, mass redundancies, austerity, and Tory attacks—and we are still here, still fighting.


    

  • This cut will not break us.
    • 

  • This cut will not silence us.
    • 

  • This cut will not stop Barnet UNISON organising.
    • 



A call for solidarity


We are calling on:


    

  • Our members: Stand with your branch. Show your support. Step up as reps or contacts in your teams. Together, we are stronger.
    • 

  • The wider trade union movement: Send messages of solidarity and amplify our campaign. Cuts to facility time anywhere are an attack on union rights everywhere.
    • 

  • Labour councillors, MPs, and activists: Show that Labour values mean standing with unions, not undermining them.
    • 



📩 Send solidarity to: contactus@barnetunison.org.uk


We’ve been here before – and we always have your backs


Barnet UNISON has faced attacks before, and every time we have come through stronger—because we never forget why we are here.


    

  • We are here to protect our members.
    • 

  • We are here to organise in every workplace.
    • 

  • We are here to speak truth to power.
    • 



No cut, no Council, no employer will ever take that away from us.


We will always have the backs of our members.


In solidarity,




Barnet UNISON


 


 

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
Barnet Council Proposes Cutting Welfare Team Post During Worst Cost of Living Crisis in 77 Years
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Disability, Local, News, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			


Barnet UNISON has today (9 September 2025) raised the alarm over a Barnet Council proposal to cut a vital post in the Welfare Team – the frontline service that supports residents struggling with debt, welfare benefits, and the cost of living.


The Council has opened a 30-day consultation (closing 8 October) on a restructure that would delete the equivalent of one full-time Income Maximisation Officer post. This is a low-paid role that helps residents navigate welfare benefits, manage debt, and access emergency support funds. The financial saving to the Council is minimal, but the human cost to vulnerable residents will be devastating.


Barnet UNISON Branch Secretary said:


“This is the worst cost of living crisis in 77 years. Thousands of Barnet residents are already struggling to pay their rent, heat their homes, and put food on the table. Cutting a frontline welfare advice post at this time is indefensible.


Our Welfare Team does life-saving work. The Council should be investing in these services, not taking them away. This cut will hit the poorest residents hardest, for the sake of a small budget saving.”


The consultation document acknowledges that these posts were originally created in January 2023 to respond to the cost-of-living crisis, delivering targeted outreach in Barnet’s most deprived communities. Despite this proven need, the Council is now proposing to reduce the team’s capacity.


Barnet UNISON will be responding to the consultation by calling on the Council to:


    

  • Withdraw the proposed cut and explore alternative funding options.
    • 

  • Guarantee no compulsory redundancies.
    • 

  • Recognise the vital role of low-paid staff who keep essential services running for Barnet’s residents.
    • 



UNISON will be engaging with staff, councillors, and the local community throughout the consultation to fight for these vital services.


Notes to Editors


    

  • The consultation runs from 9 September – 8 October 2025.
    • 

  • The proposal would reduce the number of Income Maximisation Officers from 9 to 8.
    • 

  • These staff support vulnerable residents with welfare benefits, debt advice, and financial support including the Resident Support Fund, Household Support Fund, and Discretionary Housing Payments.
    • 



For further information email the branch at contactus@barnetunison.org.uk


 


 


 

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
PRESS RELEASE – Bring Barnet’s services home: UNISON calls for solidarity to insource Capita contracts
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Local, News, Report, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			


Barnet UNISON is calling on residents, UNISON members, fellow branches and trade unions to stand with us as Barnet Council prepares to make a major decision on the future of local services.


At the Cabinet Committee meeting on 16 September 2025, councillors will decide the future of IT, Customer Services, and Revenues & Benefits services currently run by Capita.


Barnet UNISON has published a detailed report to Cabinet which sets out the case for insourcing and directly challenges the Council’s Cabinet report.


You can read our report using the link below.


https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Barnet_UNISON_Report_Final-16-Sept-2025-Capita-services.pdf


Our analysis exposes:


    

  • Barnet paid £27 million to Capita last year for these services.
    • 

  • The Council also spent £24 million on agency and consultancy staff, the highest level in 15 years.
    • 

  • That’s £51 million in one year on outsourcing and temporary provision, while the Council’s own spreadsheets show insourcing would cost just £17.5 million.
    • 

  • Outsourcing has failed: Council Tax collection remains below London averages, costing residents around £3 million a year.
    • 

  • The Cabinet report portrays insourcing as a “cost pressure,” while ignoring the hidden costs of outsourcing — supplier profits, gainshare deductions, contract management, churn, and procurement cycles.
    • 



Barnet UNISON says:


    

  • Insourcing is the only sustainable, cost-effective option in Barnet’s current financial crisis.
    • 

  • Labour nationally has pledged to “end the outsourcing racket” and UNISON’s Bringing Services Home campaign makes clear that public services run best in-house, accountable to residents not shareholders.
    • 

  • Barnet has a real opportunity to deliver on Labour and UNISON policy, and to secure better services and stronger jobs for the borough.
    • 



Call to Action


We are asking for messages of solidarity from:


    

  • Barnet residents – to show you want public money spent on public services.
    • 

  • UNISON members and branches – to back the case for insourcing in Barnet.
    • 

  • Other trade unions and allies – to stand with Barnet UNISON in this campaign.
    • 



📧 Please send messages of support to: contactus@barnetunison.org.uk


Together, we can end wasteful outsourcing in Barnet and rebuild accountable, cost-effective public services.


ENDS

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
UNISON calls on Barnet Council to scrap plans to close vital mental health service
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Disability, Health and Safety, Local, National, News, Report, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			


Barnet UNISON has today published a report challenging Barnet Council’s proposal to close The Network, a long-standing community mental health prevention and recovery service.


Read our report in the link below


https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Barnet-UNISON-Report-The-Future-of-The-Network.pdf


The Council’s own consultation shows 73% of respondents opposed closure — including 100% of carers — yet officers are still recommending that Cabinet votes to shut the service.


Barnet UNISON’s report sets out detailed evidence showing that:


    

  • The Network prevents crisis: Service users say it has kept them out of hospital, sustained their employment, and reduced isolation. One user told the consultation: “Without The Network, I would have ended up in hospital. It kept me going when nothing else was available.”
    • 

  • It is cost-effective: The service costs just £0.5m annually. Preventing as few as ten 14-day hospital admissions saves £280,000, over a third of the budget.
    • 

  • Alternatives cannot cope: The officer report lists other providers but gives no evidence of spare capacity or commitments to take additional referrals.
    • 

  • Equality impacts are serious: The Equalities Impact Assessment identifies disproportionate harm to working-age disabled women, which has been downplayed.
    • 

  • Labour values are at stake: National Labour policy stresses prevention, early help and keeping people in work. Closing The Network contradicts those commitments and risks reputational damage for Barnet Labour.
    • 

  • Legal risk: Closure exposes the Council to potential challenge under the Care Act 2014 (s.2 duty to prevent and delay need) and the Public Sector Equality Duty.
    • 



The report also includes:


    

  • Appendix E – Practitioner Evidence: authored by the staff who deliver the service. It shows The Network supports 350–500 referrals annually, has one of the shortest waits in Adult Social Care, and plays a recognised role in suicide prevention.
    • 

  • An Addendum responding directly to the final Cabinet papers, rebutting claims of declining demand, alternative capacity, and robust transition planning.
    • 



UNISON Statement


John Burgess, Branch Secretary of Barnet UNISON, said:


“Closing The Network is a false economy. It costs very little but saves the NHS and the Council huge sums by keeping people well, in work, and out of crisis. The consultation shows residents, carers, and professionals overwhelmingly oppose closure. Labour nationally is committed to expanding mental health support. Why would a Labour council do the opposite?”


Christina McAnea, UNISON General Secretary, has said:


“Slashing vital services that keep people well and independent is a false economy. Care should be a human right and a public service.”


Jon Richards, UNISON Assistant General Secretary, has warned:


“Cutting already overstretched services abandons some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.”


UNISON’s call to Barnet Council Cabinet


Barnet UNISON is urging Cabinet members to:


    

  1. Reject closure at the Cabinet meeting.
    2. 

  2. Commission a genuine options appraisal — including integration into the Prevention & Wellbeing Team, joint-funding with NHS North Central London ICB, and service redesign.
    3. 

  3. Require evidence of provider capacity before any change is considered.
    4. 

  4. Re-run the EqIA with real evidence and lived-experience testimony.
    5. 





Notes for editors


    

  • Barnet UNISON’s full report “The Future of The Network” (including Appendix E – Practitioner Evidence and Addendum to the final Cabinet report) is attached and available on request.
    • 

  • Appendices also include: Appendix A – Consultation, Appendix B – EqIA, Appendix D – Other Services.
    • 

  • The Network currently supports 165 active service users, processes 350–500 referrals annually, and provides suicide prevention, recovery groups, and employment support.
    • 



Ends.

			

		

		
		


	

			  

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