Category: Anti – Racism

“No stone left unturned” Number 13: Economies of scale.

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

Day two of redundancy consultation across the Council workforce and still no responses from the employer to the UNISON proposals where the Council could and should be taking control of its spend.

This article is about economies of scale and how they could make savings which could prevent redundancies and service cuts.

Read on.

30 years ago, there was on Council with one Chief Executive and a smaller senior management team.

It was a larger Council because all the services that are currently outsourced such as Housing (Barnet Homes) Social Care (Your Choice Barnet) Parking Enforcement (NSL), School Catering (ISS), Cleaning (Norse) Education Services for Schools (BELS) Customer Services, Revs and Bens, Payroll, IT (Capita) used to be part of the Councils workforce.

12 years ago, Barnet Council under the Tories Administration created a Local Authority Trading Company (LATC) which is 100% owned by Barnet Council.

They named it The Barnet Group (TBG).

The purpose of the company was to exploit workers by using their labour to provide essential services but deny those workers of the terms and conditions of a Council worker including the right to join the council Pension Scheme.

There are two companies within TBG. Barnet Homes and Your Choice Barnet.

In 2020, Barnet Council created another LATC for education services for schools called Barnet Education and Learning Skills (BELS) following the contract failure of a contractor who pulled out during Covid.

Both these LATCs are owned by Barnet Council.

The UNISON economies of scale proposal were for Barnet Council to conduct a review of back office services across all three organisations.

UNISON knows from some simple research published in our article “No stone left unturned” Number 10: Barnet Homes the elephant in the room. https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/12/04/no-stone-left-unturned-number-10-barnet-homes-the-elephant-in-the-room/ that savings were inevitable with the ending of the outsourced Housing Services. UNISON has continued to campaign for an end to the appalling employment practices of both organisations by bringing services in-house which is in line with UNISONs National Policy ‘Bringing Services Home’.

If the Council is determined to maintain the two organisations it at the very least should end the waste in terms of running three back offices and run only one.

Whilst the deliberate underfunding of Councils rests solely with Tory Governments there are still opportunities for Barnet Council to take responsibility for things they do control, and this is one of them.

Barnet UNISON is now representing members across the workforce who are at risk of redundancy. In redundancy consultations the employer must demonstrate they are making all efforts to control spend to avoid redundancy.

To date we have not heard anything back.

End.

 

“No stone left unturned” What is The Barnet Group (TBG)? Number 7: Part Three

Anti - Racism, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Care & Support, COVID 19, H&S, Housing, Local, London Living Wage, News, Solidarity, TBG Flex, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign, Your Choice Barnet

Ever since we published our article called Three Chief Executives and a Plumber, we have been inundated with questions about The Barnet Group (TBG).

Barnet UNISON published three animations which were put together with the help of our Barnet UNISON reps in TBG

Here is Animation Number Three which we noticed someone was watching it on a bus.



After watching this animation we strongly recommend you reading our article Three Chief Executives and a Plumber, here https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/10/18/barnet-council-the-tale-of-three-chief-executives-and-one-plumber/


End.


 


 




 


 

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
“No stone left unturned” What is The Barnet Group (TBG)? Number 6: Part Two
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, ASSIST, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Care & Support, COVID 19, Health and Safety, Local, London Living Wage, News, Pensions, Recruitment, Repairs, TBG Flex, UNISON Campaign, Your Choice Barnet	



	
		

			
		
					

			
Ever since we published our article called Three Chief Executives and a Plumber, we have been inundated with questions about The Barnet Group (TBG).


Barnet UNISON published three animations which were put together with the help of our Barnet UNISON reps in TBG


Here is Animation Number Two which appears to have been screened in London Docklands.




After watching this animation we strongly recommend you reading our article Three Chief Executives and a Plumber, here https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/10/18/barnet-council-the-tale-of-three-chief-executives-and-one-plumber/


End.



			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
“No stone left unturned” What is The Barnet Group (TBG)? Number 5: Part One
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, ASSIST, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Care & Support, Health and Safety, Housing, Local, News, Pensions, Recruitment, Solidarity, TBG Flex, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			
Ever since we published our article called Three Chief Executives and a Plumber, we have been inundated with questions about The Barnet Group (TBG).


Barnet UNISON published three animations which were put together with the help of our Barnet UNISON reps in TBG


Here is Animation Number One which appears to have been viewed in the Council Main Office in Colindale.




After watching this animation we strongly recommend you reading our article Three Chief Executives and a Plumber, here https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/10/18/barnet-council-the-tale-of-three-chief-executives-and-one-plumber/


End.



			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
Barnet UNISON NSL meeting Thurs 28 November 6.30 pm.
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Local, News, Solidarity, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			


Dear NSL members


Barnet Council has decided to go out to the market to ask for contractors to bid to deliver the parking enforcement service.


This will involve contractors submitting their bids to deliver the parking enforcement service for London Borough of Barnet.



Barnet UNISON has organised the first of a number of UNISON NSL members meetings in order we can discuss what action can be taken by members


The UNISON NSL meeting is on Thursday 28 November 6.30-7 pm 


This is the link for the meeting.


https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87371964533?pwd=3bgMyAzDbHrvqAWofce8Mv83c7Zysx.1


Many of our members will be aware of the Camden UNISON NSL members who have won two successful pay claims. They have won these pay claims by acting together. They agreed a proposal which was submitted to NSL and rejected. UNISON members voted for strike action, and they took strike action on both occasions their strike action was successful.


We are going to invite someone from Camden UNISON to speak at our meeting.


Barnet UNISON has along track record of backing our members who have wanted to take strike action. That same support is being offered to our NSL members if we are not able to secure better pay for our members.


Your local reps are working with me to develop a plan to campaign for parking enforcement to come back inhouse, but it also needs members to become involved.


Please look out for future communications from Barnet UNISON. We will produce a leaflet for the meeting on Thursday 28 November meeting. Please help publicise and recruit members as this is the only way to make change in the workplace.


Solidarity


John Burgess, Branch Secretary, Barnet UNISON.


 

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
Barnet Council interim Chief Executive responds to UNISON members on grading dispute.
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Health and Safety, Local, News, Solidarity, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			


Brief history to this grading dispute.


On 25 April 2024 at the formal meeting with the former Chief Executive in the JNCG about the agreement to move grades A to E starting from 1 April 2024. It was agreed that Barnet Council would update UNISON on this matter in a few days.


It is worth noting in January 2024 when the trade unions were informed that Chief Executive and Director of Resources had agreed to the changes and payment from 1 April 2024, we were told that implementation would not take place until September due to concerns about Oracle, but we were assured that the payments would be backdated to 1 April 2024.


In March 2024, Barnet Council HR informed Head Teachers of the proposals to move their staff on Grades A-E. Feedback from Head Teachers was that they were supportive of this decision.


On 19 July 2024 the trade unions were formally notified that there would be a delay and the Council “would be in a position to implement changes to grades A-E towards the end of this calendar year.”


On 16 September 2024 at a formal meeting with the interim Chief Executive UNISON was informed that Barnet Council would not be able to fund this proposal and that it would not be backdated.


Barnet Council stated they want the implementation date to be from 1st April 2025 they went on to say they were waiting to hear of local government finance settlement before categorically 100% confirming this.  If the budget on 30th Oct was bad news for local government financing, then this date cannot be guaranteed adding that once the budget for 25/26 is set, a firm implementation date will be confirmed with trade unions.


Following this meeting UNISON organised workplace meetings of our members which led to members submitting signed collective letters requesting that the decision not to implement from 1 April 2024 be reconsidered.


    

  • On 23 September 2024 UNISON emailed to signed letters from hundreds of our members asking the interim chief executive to reconsider.
    • 

  • On 17 October UNISON emailed the interim chief executive if they were going to respond to staff.
    • 

  • On 18 October the interim chief executive emailed UNISON to say they were speaking with Executive Director of Environment and proposed that the communication would be sent at the end of the month.
    • 

  • On 18 October UNISON confirmed that would work as we had a mass meeting of members on 6 November 2024. 
    • 

  • On Wednesday 6 November 2024 UNISON attended a mass meeting of members where they confirmed that they had not received any communication from you.
    • 



At that meeting our members were clearly upset over the handling of this matter and requested that UNISON record a trade dispute over failure to honour an agreement to implement the uplift from the 1 April 2024.


On 6 November UNISON emailed the interim chief executive formally registering a dispute adding that UNISON was still open to meetings to find a resolution, but confirming that we are now beginning UNISON’s internal processes for applying for an industrial action ballot


Late on Friday 8 November 2024 UNISON received the following memo which we are sharing as a hard copy and via email to our members to read and report back to our next mass meeting on Wednesday 4 December 2024, 1st Floor in new building at the following times.


    

  • 5.45-6.15 am
    • 

  • 6.30- 7 am
    • 





PLEASE READ MEMO FROM INTERIM CHIEF EXECUTIVE BY CLICKING ON LINK BELOW.


https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/241108-GradesA2E-LetterResponse-CS.pdf




End.


 

			

		

		
		


	
		
			
	

		
		
Big solidarity from Jim Morris Knight, UNISON representative of the environment agencies on water, environment and transport.
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Local, News, Solidarity, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			
Introduction. 


Barnet UNISON is a proud active fighting UNISON branch with a long history of backing our members when they want to fight back.


We have been consistently one of the highest recruiting UNISON branches in London and recently achieved a lawful strike ballot on in the UNISON National Pay ballot.


When are members are in dispute it is important that strikers receive support from others within the wider UNISON family and across the trade union movement.


Below is a message of support for our Barnet UNISON mental health social worker strikers.




 


 

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
Jordan Rivera UNISON NEC rep for NHS workers sends solidarity message to our mental health social workers strikers
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Local, Solidarity, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			
Introduction. 


Barnet UNISON is a proud active fighting UNISON branch with a long history of backing our members when they want to fight back.


We have been consistently one of the highest recruiting UNISON branches in London and recently achieved a lawful strike ballot on in the UNISON National Pay ballot.


When are members are in dispute it is important that strikers receive support from others within the wider UNISON family and across the trade union movement.


Below is a message of support for our Barnet UNISON strikers.



			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
Andrea Egan NEC National rep sending solidarity to our mental health social worker strikers
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Local, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			
Introduction. 


Barnet UNISON is a proud active fighting UNISON branch with a long history of backing our members when they want to fight back.


We have been consistently one of the highest recruiting UNISON branches in London and recently achieved a lawful strike ballot on in the UNISON National Pay ballot.


When are members are in dispute it is important that strikers receive support from others within the wider UNISON family and across the trade union movement.


Below is a message of support for our Barnet UNISON strikers.



			

		

		
		


	

			  

					
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