Category: Anti – Racism

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. Commission a genuine options appraisal — including integration into the Prevention & Wellbeing Team, joint-funding with NHS North Central London ICB, and service redesign.
  3. Require evidence of provider capacity before any change is considered.
  4. Re-run the EqIA with real evidence and lived-experience testimony.


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.

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
UNISON Equal Pay Claims Now Extended to The Barnet Group and BELS
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Local, News, Schools, Solidarity, TBG Flex, UNISON Campaign, Your Choice Barnet	



	
		

			
		
					

			


Barnet UNISON has confirmed that our ongoing Equal Pay campaign, initially focused on London Borough of Barnet (LBB) staff, has now been extended to include our members working for The Barnet Group (TBG) and Barnet Education and Learning Skills (BELS) — both of which are Local Authority Trading Companies wholly owned by LBB.


The potential scale of the claim is significant:


    

  • London Borough of Barnet (including Community Schools): 2,700 staff
    • 

  • The Barnet Group: 900 staff
    • 

  • BELS: 250 staff
    • 



Not all of these employees will be claimants, but a substantial number could be affected.


UNISON has been at the forefront of local government equal pay claims for over a decade, securing millions in compensation for members across the UK. Our investigation in Barnet has identified practices — including the use of “task and finish” and bonus payments in Waste & Recycling — that are likely to give rise to Equal Pay claims with reasonable prospects of success.


In light of these findings, we are:


    

  • Urging all LBB members on Grades A to K to complete an Equal Pay case form.
    • 

  • Inviting all of our members from TBG and BELS to submit their Equal pay case forms.
    • 



To pursue a claim, members must complete the case form with details of their job role, grade, and dates of employment. If you have left or changed your role in the past six months, this must be made clear as Tribunal deadlines are strict.


Download the Equal Pay case form here:

Equal Pay Case Form – Barnet UNISON


Return completed forms to: contactus@barnetunison.org.uk


Barnet UNISON will lodge a collective grievance on behalf of claimants and begin the early conciliation process as the first step towards an Employment Tribunal claim. We will continue to engage constructively with LBB, TBG, and BELS to seek an industrial resolution wherever possible.


Ends


For further information contact:

Barnet UNISON at : contactus@barnetunison.org.uk


 

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
Barnet UNISON Launches Potential Equal Pay Claim on Behalf of its female members.
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Housing, Libraries, Local, News, Schools, Solidarity, TBG Flex, UNISON Campaign, Your Choice Barnet	



	
		

			
		
					

			


Barnet UNISON is urging its female members in the London Borough of Barnet (LBB) to come forward as the union prepares to launch a collective legal challenge over potential equal pay breaches by the Council.


The move follows extensive investigations into pay practices within LBB, particularly in relation to the use of “task and finish” arrangements in the Waste & Recycling service. UNISON believes there is now sufficient evidence to support equal pay claims with reasonable prospects of success.


John Burgess, Branch Secretary of Barnet UNISON, said:


“The possibility that staff – the majority of whom are women – may have been underpaid for years is deeply concerning, especially in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis. Equal Pay is not just a legal right, it’s a fundamental matter of fairness. UNISON is committed to ensuring our members receive the pay they are legally and morally entitled to.”


The union is now asking affected members to complete an Equal Pay case form detailing their job roles, grades, and employment history. This information will allow UNISON to assess each claim and proceed with legal and procedural steps, including lodging a collective grievance and initiating early conciliation.


Barnet UNISON is also reminding staff of the strict six-month legal time limit for making an Equal Pay claim. Anyone who has recently left the Council or changed roles is urged to act quickly.


UNISON has led the fight for Equal Pay in local government for over a decade, winning millions in compensation for underpaid workers. The union will continue to engage in constructive dialogue with Barnet Council while preparing to take legal action where necessary.


ENDS


For media enquiries, please contact:


Barnet UNISON at contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
Updated : Are You Getting the Right Holiday Pay? – plus 10 FAQs
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Local, News, Report, Solidarity, TBG Flex, Your Choice Barnet	



	
		

			
		
					

			


A Briefing for All Barnet UNISON Members


1. If You Work Overtime, Read This!


Barnet UNISON is raising an important issue affecting many of our members.


If you regularly work overtime and take annual leave, your holiday pay should reflect your normal average earnings — not just your basic pay.


2. What the Law Says


From April 2025, UK law confirmed what courts have already made clear:


If you regularly work overtime or receive regular allowances, your holiday pay must include these payments.


This applies to at least 4 weeks of your annual leave each year.


3. What This Means for You:


When you’re on annual leave, your payslip should include:


    

  • Basic pay
    • 

  • Top-up for regular overtime/allowances
    • 



No top-up? You may have been underpaid.


4. Legal Backing


This is now backed by:


    

  • British Gas v Lock (2016)
    • 

  • Flowers v East of England Ambulance Trust (2019)
    • 

  • Employment Rights Regulations 2023 (in force from April 2025)
    • 



These confirmed that holiday pay must reflect what you normally earn — including regular overtime.


5.  What to Look Out For


    

  • Did your pay drop while on leave?
    • 

  • Was there no holiday pay enhancement showing on your payslip?
    • 

  • Do you regularly work overtime, but see no difference in holiday pay?
    • 



If so — you may be owed back pay for up to 2 years.


6. What have Barnet UNISON done? 


We have already written to Barnet Council asking the following;


    

  1. Confirm the rationale for commencing these payments from 1 April 2025;
    2. 

  2. Confirm whether the Council recognises that this change arises from the 2023 Regulations and related case law;
    3. 

  3. Requested a meeting to discuss how best to resolve this issue and ensure that members are properly remunerated in line with the law.
    4. 



7. Get in Touch – We Can Help


Contact us if:


    

  • You think your holiday pay is wrong
    • 

  • You want help checking your payslips
    • 

  • You’ve worked overtime and want to know your rights
    • 



Email Barnet UNISON at: contactus@barnetunison.org.uk


We are gathering information and may take collective action where members have been underpaid.


Know Your Rights. Get What You’re Owed.


You’ve earned it. Make sure you’re paid fairly — even when you’re on holiday.


Holiday Pay & Overtime – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)


 


1. I work overtime — should that be included in my holiday pay?


Yes — if you regularly work overtime, your holiday pay should reflect your normal average earnings, not just your basic contracted hours.


 


2. What counts as “regular” overtime?


“Regular” means any overtime that happens consistently or predictably, even if it’s voluntary. If it forms a normal part of your working pattern, it should be included.


 


3. What if my overtime is voluntary — does that still count?


Yes — courts have confirmed that regular voluntary overtime must be included in holiday pay if it’s worked often enough to become part of your normal pay (see Flowers v East of England Ambulance Trust).


 


4. How many weeks of my leave should include this enhanced pay?


At least 4 weeks per year of your annual leave must reflect your normal pay, including overtime. This is a legal minimum. Contractual leave above this may be paid at basic rate.


 


5. How is the holiday pay calculated?


It should be based on your average weekly earnings over the previous 52 paid weeks, including any overtime, bonuses, or allowances you normally receive.


 


6. How can I tell if I’ve been underpaid?


Look at your payslips during periods when you were on leave:


    

  • Was your pay lower than usual?
    • 

  • Was there no separate line for “holiday pay enhancement”?
    
If yes, you may have been underpaid.
    • 



 


7. Can I claim back pay if I was underpaid?


Yes — you may be entitled to up to 2 years’ back pay, but you must act quickly. Legal claims must be made within 3 months of the last underpayment.


 


8. I didn’t know about this before — am I out of time?


It depends. If you recently became aware of the issue or took leave recently, you may still be in time to raise a claim. Contact us for advice.


 


9. What should I do if I think I’ve been underpaid?


Email Barnet UNISON at: contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

We can help you check your payslips, raise it with your employer, and explore options for claiming what you’re owed.


 


10. 1 Does this apply to agency or casual workers?


It depends on your working pattern. If you have a pattern of regular overtime or consistent work weeks, you may still be entitled to holiday pay based on average earnings. Contact us for specific advice.


UNISON is here to make sure you’re paid fairly — even when you’re on holiday.


Barnet UNISON – Fighting for Fair Pay.


 

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
Breaking News: “Outsourcing Has Failed Our Children and Our Workers – Bring School Catering Back In-House Now”
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Health and Safety, Local, News, Schools, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			


Barnet UNISON is calling on Barnet Council to end the failed outsourcing of school catering and bring the service back in-house.


At the upcoming Cabinet Committee meeting on 21 July 2025, Barnet Council will be asked to approve the continuation of an outsourced school meals contract. Barnet UNISON is demanding the Council reverse this recommendation and recognise the devastating impact outsourcing has had on schoolchildren, workers, and Barnet’s local economy.




John Burgess, Barnet UNISON Branch Secretary, said:

“For over a decade Barnet UNISON has warned of the dangers of outsourcing. Those warnings were ignored – and the result has been catastrophic. Low-paid Black women workers dismissed, children denied hot meals, and a kosher kitchen built with public money now left empty. Enough is enough.”


 


The Case Against Outsourcing:


    

  • ❌ Children Left Without Hot Meals: Barnet pupils were denied nutritious school meals due to the collapse of the kosher meal service.
    • 

  • ❌ Black Female Workers Dismissed: 41 Black catering staff lost their jobs when the kosher kitchen service collapsed. Only the trade union fought to secure their redundancy pay.
    • 

  • ❌ Wasted Public Assets: Barnet now has a kosher kitchen standing idle – a visible symbol of outsourcing gone wrong.
    • 

  • ❌ Poor Pay and No Pensions: Catering workers are excluded from the Local Government Pension Scheme and face poverty wages, resulting in reliance on housing benefits and in-work support – costs borne by the taxpayer.
    • 

  • ❌ A False Economy: Barnet claims savings, but the reality is a transfer of cost from the Council to the welfare state, undermining long-term financial sustainability.
    • 





A Better Alternative: In-House Services


Barnet Council ran a successful in-house school catering service for decades. In 2014–15, it generated a £190,000 surplus. Schools had confidence in the service and trusted its quality and reliability.


There has been no serious financial modelling on bringing the service back in-house. Despite citing inflation and “market pressures,” the current Cabinet report presents no updated analysis of how in-house provision could now be rebuilt to meet modern needs.


Council Equality Commitments Undermined


Barnet Council’s corporate values include a commitment to equality and inclusion, yet outsourcing has overwhelmingly harmed Black, female, low-paid workers – a group protected under the Equality Act 2010.


“This decision contradicts the Council’s equality duties,”. 


“How can you talk about inclusion while outsourcing continues to hurt the very communities you claim to support?”




Labour Party Policy Backs Our Call


    

  • Ending Outsourcing: Labour’s 2021 Conference endorsed the “biggest wave of insourcing in a generation,” including school services such as catering.
    • 

  • Tackling In-Work Poverty: Labour’s platform includes stronger rights at work, a real living wage, secure pensions, and an end to exploitative contracts.
    • 

  • Racial Justice at Work: Outsourcing has been shown to disproportionately harm Black workers. Labour-aligned campaigns highlight insourcing as a racial justice imperative.
    • 

  • Community Wealth Building: Labour supports local procurement and public ownership to retain wealth and secure good jobs in our communities.
    • 



Continuing to outsource the school meals contract undermines Labour values in one of the most diverse boroughs in the UK.




UNISON Demands:


    

  • Immediately halt the outsourcing procurement.
    • 

  • Publish a full Equality Impact Assessment.
    • 

  • Commission an updated in-house service feasibility report.
    • 

  • Bring Barnet’s school meals service back in-house.
    • 



 


For further information or interview requests, please contact:


Barnet UNISON at contactus@barnetunison.org.uk


To read Barnet UNISON report submitted to Cabinet Committee 22 July 2025 click on link below


https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Barnet-UNISON-Report-Schools-Catering-2025.pdf


 


End.


 


 

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
South Cambridgeshire Council Votes for a 4 Day Week — It’s Time to Fight for Ours
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Health and Safety, Housing, Local, News, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			


Dear members,


We are proud to report that South Cambridgeshire District Council has become the first council in the UK to adopt a four-day week as permanent policy — on full pay, for all staff. This is a landmark moment in the fight for a better work/life balance and stronger public services.


Barnet UNISON visited this council and spoke directly with staff and trade union colleagues. Their message was clear: this is not a gimmick — it’s a serious, evidence-based reform that has delivered for staff, services, and residents alike.


What the report shows


The official Council report presented on 17 July 2025 outlines clear, independent evidence https://scambs.moderngov.co.uk/documents/b50013885/Four-day%20Week%20Update%20and%20Future%20Arrangements%20-%20Update%20from%20Scrutiny%20and%20Overview%20Committee%20Thursday.pdf?T=9 :


    

  • 100% pay for 32 hours (86.5% of a 37-hour week), across all roles
    • 

  • 22 of 24 service KPIs maintained or improved; 9 showed statistically significant improvement — including faster planning decisions, quicker benefit processing, and higher rates of emergency repairs completed on time
    • 

  • £399,263 annual savings from reduced agency reliance and improved recruitment
    • 

  • 123% increase in job applications and 41% drop in voluntary resignations
    • 

  • Staff health and wellbeing scores — mental health, physical health, motivation, and intent to stay — all improved significantly
    • 



This was not a “soft” trial. It included independent analysis by the Universities of Cambridge, Salford, and Bradford, and national performance benchmarks. A public consultation — despite predictable scaremongering from anti-public sector groups — found no evidence of serious decline in services and strong public support in many areas.


When we win, expect pushback


Already, opponents of decent working conditions are attacking this result.


Let’s be honest — this isn’t new.


When trade unions first demanded:


    

  • Holiday pay — we were told the economy would collapse.
    • 

  • Sick pay — we were told people would take advantage.
    • 

  • Health and safety laws — we were told it was red tape.
    • 

  • Pensions — we were told it was unaffordable.
    • 



But unions stood strong. Members like you fought back. And we won every time.


The same fear tactics are being recycled today — against a four-day week.


What Barnet UNISON will do


This win matters. And it’s achievable here too.


Barnet UNISON will:


    

  • Campaign to trial four-day week working with full pay across council and Barnet Group services
    • 

  • Work with members to identify how services can adapt and innovate
    • 

  • Push employers to engage with staff and trade unions, just like South Cambs did
    • 

  • Show the evidence works, and challenge the myths when critics come calling
    • 



A union is for fighting


A trade union is not just a grievance handler — it’s a fighting force for better pay, safer work, and better lives. The four-day week is the next big leap.


Change never comes without a fight — but this shows it can come. And Barnet UNISON is ready.


In solidarity,


Barnet UNISON Branch


 


 

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
Barnet UNISON Warns: “Care Workforce at Risk Without Urgent Action”
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Care & Support, Local, News, Recruitment, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign, Your Choice Barnet	



	
		

			
		
					

			
 




Barnet UNISON has raised urgent concerns about the sustainability of the care workforce at The Barnet Group (TBG), following the release of new data showing a heavily ageing workforce and low numbers of younger recruits.


“The age profile, published today on the Barnet UNISON website, reveals that over 60% of staff are aged 51 and above, with the largest group being 51-60. Under 22% are under the age of 40 with only 6% under the age of 30.”


Helen Davies, Branch Chair of Barnet UNISON, said:


“This data is a wake-up call. The care sector is already under pressure — and without urgent investment in recruitment, training and fair pay, we risk a workforce crisis. Many of our dedicated care staff are approaching retirement age. Who will replace them?”


The union warns that without a strategy to recruit and retain younger staff; the service could face a critical shortage of experienced carers within the next decade. It is calling on Barnet Council and The Barnet Group to:


    

  • Introduce a care workforce renewal plan
    • 

  • Expand apprenticeships and training pathways
    • 

  • Improve pay and conditions for frontline care workers
    • 

  • Protect services from further cuts and privatisation
    • 



Barnet UNISON will be using the data in ongoing discussions with management, councillors and the wider community to demand a properly funded and future-proofed care service.


For further information contact:

Barnet UNISON – contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

Twitter/X: @barnet_unison | www.barnetunison.me.uk


 

			

		

		
		


	

			  

					
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