Category: Austerity

What is the difference between working for TBG Flex and having a Barnet Homes Contract ?

Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, TBG Flex

 

TBG Flex Pension Scheme query submitted to the Pensions Regulator – Barnet UNISON

If you joined the Barnet Group after 2017 you don’t actually work for either Your Choice Barnet [YCB] or Barnet Homes – Your employment contract is with TBG Flex.

So, what is TBG Flex?

TBG Flex is an employment company set up by the the Barnet Group with the purpose of not allowing entry in to the Local Government Pension Scheme [LGPS], giving employees inferior Terms and Conditions, lower Pay  and longer working hours than staff who were employed before 2017.

For instance….

TBG Flex -The Basic working week for TBG Flex Staff is 37.5hrs

For staff employed before 2017 – 36hrs

 

TBG Flex Annual Leave is capped at a maximum of 25days for workers or 30 days for Directors and the CEO.[excluding Bank Holidays]

For staff employed before 2017 – at least 29 days for all staff. [excluding Bank Holidays]

 

TBG Flex Sickness – For TBG Flex staff – capped at 2 months full pay and then Statutory Sick Pay[SSP] of £95.85 per week for a maximum of 28 weeks.

For staff employed before 2017 – Sick Pay is capped at 6 months full pay and then 6 months half pay.

TBG Flex Overtime – For TBG Flex – No overtime rate – except for Christmas day which is paid at double time. The same applies for workers in YCB who were forcibly ‘opted out’ of Nationally Agreed Pay.

For staff employed before 2017 –Monday to Saturday Time and a half –  Sundays and Public and Extra Statutory holidays Double time (min 2 hours). 

 

TBG Flex Pension – upto 5% paid in to your pension [matching your contribution] as an employers contribution [10% for Senior managers, Directors and the CEO] – for every £1 invested by the worker TBG Flex invest £1.

For staff employed before 2017 – Local Government Pension Scheme – up to 6% contribution from the worker is matched by a 19% contribution from the employer – for every £1 invested by the worker the employer invests £3.50.

 

TBG Flex Continuation of Service [with other Local Government employers] – No

For staff employed before 2017– Yes – which means your accrued Annual Leave, Sickness Benefits, maternity pay and Pension is transferred to the new employer. This also means that your continuous service with other Local Government employers is recognised in relation to redundancy payments.

TBG Flex Pay – Evaluations of jobs reached by using the ‘HAY’ pay model – this evaluation scheme, in general  ‘rewards’ jobs at the lower and medium end [most workers] with lower salaries than Barnet Homes contracted workers and at the higher end [senior management] with higher salaries.

Any Pay Rise has to be signed off by the Barnet Group Board.

For staff employed before 2017 in Barnet Homes –  Evaluations of jobs reached by using the ‘Greater London Provincal Council’ [GLPC] pay model – this evaluation scheme, in general  ‘rewards’ jobs at the lower and medium end [most workers] with slightly higher salaries than TBG Flex contracted workers and is consistent in ‘rewards’ offered across the business/council. 

Any Pay Rise is Nationally Negotiated and implemented as soon as agreed.

N.B. This does NOT apply for workers in YCB who were forcibly ‘opted out’ of Nationally agreed pay –  they have NEVER received a payrise since YCB’s inception.

And the list goes on – TBG Flex workers have less Maternity Leave and are paid less should they be made redundant.

This is not acceptable – Barnet Homes contracted workers and TBG Flex workers do the same job and we are all paid by the London Borough Of Barnet

– We should all be on Nationally agreed Pay and Terms and Conditions – 

Help us achieve that – Join Barnet UNISON – Help us fight for Local Government Terms and Conditions, Pay and working hours in the Barnet Group

– FOR ALL WORKERS! –

Defend your Pension and Redundancy Pay

Austerity, Local, News, Repairs, UNISON Campaign
Dear UNISON members
Members the Government have passed legislation which severely attacks our Pension rights and our Redundancy Pay.
There is already evidence that cuts
 and sackings are coming our way as already employers are using fire and rehire to cut the Terms and Conditions of their workforce British Gas and British Airways to name a few.
This latest attack is designed to cut the amount you will get in the event you are made redundant.
Please can you email your MP to sign this Early Day Motion.
“ That this House notes with concern that with the prospect of potentially significant further cuts in jobs in local government, the Government is seeking to drive through plans to cut the pension or severance payments to public sector members of the Local Government Pension Scheme aged 55 and above; and supports those trade unionists campaigning both to expose the implications of the Government’s plans and to oppose their imposition.”
Solidarity
John Burgess
Branch Secretary Barnet UNISON

Our fight to end low pay

Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Local, News, Repairs, Solidarity, TBG Flex, UNISON Campaign

There is definitely a mood in the air here in Barnet.

 I can’t put my finger on it but it is there.

 In the last few weeks our reps have been going into workplaces and recruiting both members and reps in services where staff have been working throughout COVID, services such as care homes, waste and recycling, street cleansing, housing repairs and gas services, parking enforcement and passenger transport to name but a few.

One of the major issues is that they are all low paid workers and they quite rightly feel they are not being paid enough, especially when you consider they have worked on throughout all the restraints caused by the virus.

For the past six months these workers have been directed into the COVID workplace by senior managers all working from the comfort of their homes.

Being able to work from is not an option for these workers.

While senior management are saving money on transport costs because they can work from home these workers are paying the rising costs of public transport to get to their workplaces.

 Today was no exception. We met a group of workers in the Repairs and Gas Service who had recently TUPED into the Barnet Group from Mears. There were many serious issues raised, all of which can and must be dealt with by our union.

 What was great about the meeting was that this previously un-unionised workforce quickly grasped the importance of union membership in the workplace. Not only have they already begun to recruit the whole of the service, they have understood the need to have local reps and we recruited two union reps and one Health and Safety rep.

I never get tired of working with members and today reminded me of what we can do if we have the confidence and support of the workforce.

Today is but the beginning I sense things are going to get interesting here in Barnet over the next six to nine months.

 Solidarity

John Burgess

Branch Secretary, Barnet UNISON.

Government attacking on our Pension and Redundancy Payments

Austerity, COVID 19, Local, National, Report, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

The Westminster Government has pushed through parliament final regulations that will enact the absolute cap of £95,000 on all exit payments in the public sector.

This means that any exit payment made after the implementation date (anticipated to be on, or soon after 26th October) will be affected.

UNISON are campaigning to demonstrate the severe impact the changes would have on various different types of local government workers.

Read National UNISON update 6 October 2020

http://msgfocus.com/files/amf_unison/project_131/LG_60_2020_-_URGENT_update_on_the_95_000_Cap_on_Public_Sector_Exit_Payments.pdf

 

The consultation closes 9 November 2020

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/reforming-local-government-exit-pay

 What next?

In order to alert UNISON members to the seriousness of these attacks UNISON have provided 6 hypothetical worked examples below. (N.B. where the examples below talk about being a ‘member’ this means pension membership not UNISON membership).

 

Examples:

Individual 1: is 59 years old. Member for 19 years and is currently paid a salary of £29,000 per annum. She broadly fits the profile of the average member. Her new redundancy package does not contain a cash payment on top, as her pension strain is larger than the combined SRP and DSP. Member benefits are not affected by the £95,000 cap but are reduced under proposed reforms as SRP and DSP are no longer paid in excess to pension strain. Under the proposed reforms, benefits on redundancy are reduced by around 37%.

  • Individual 2: is 55 years old and has been a member for 25 years. He is paid a salary of £80,000 per annum. His relatively young age means that he receives a high pension strain. Benefits are reduced under proposed reforms as SRP and DSP are no longer paid in excess to pension strain and pension stain is capped at £95,000. His new redundancy benefits are £95,000, as his pension strain is already over £95,000. Under the proposed reforms, benefits on redundancy are reduced by around 61%.
  • Individual 3: is 61 years old. He has been a member for 31 years and is currently paid a salary of £41,000 per annum. Member is entitled to a cash payment as the DSP the member would have been entitled to is higher than pension strain (net of SRP). Member benefits are not affected by the £95,000 cap but are reduced under proposed reforms as full SRP and DSP are no longer paid in excess to pension strain. His redundancy benefits are reduced by 38%.
  • Individual 4: is 65 years old. She has been a member 7 years and is currently paid a salary of £20,000 per annum. Member is entitled to a cash top up as pension strain is less than SRP, and DSP the member would have been entitled to is greater than strain (net of SRP). Member benefits are not affected by the £95,000 cap but are reduced under proposed reforms as full SRP and DSP are no longer paid in excess to pension strain. Under the proposed reforms, benefits on redundancy are reduced by around 25%.
  • Individual 5: is 60 years old. She has been a member for 4 years and is currently paid a salary of £35,000 per annum. Her new redundancy package does not contain a cash payment element as her pension strain is larger than the combined SRP and DSP. Member benefits are not affected by the £95,000 cap but are reduced under proposed reforms as full SRP and DSP are no longer paid in excess to pension strain. Under the proposed reforms, benefits on redundancy are reduced by around 29%.
  • Individual 6: is 67 years old and has been a member 23 years. She is currently paid a salary of £34,000 per annum. Her age and service history mean that there is no pension strain. The member is not affected by the £95,000 cap. Her redundancy package will be unchanged and will consist entirely of the cash payment which is equal to her original SRP plus DSP.

What can you do?

If you have any questions and concerns please email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

Bin worker Update 4: Victory for our members

Austerity, Local, Solidarity, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign

“I am pleased to report that Barnet Council have dropped the proposed change to our members’ contracts.

The Council responded that they had listened to the views from Barnet UNISON and the views of our members in a face to face meeting which took place in the depot several weeks ago.

This is a massive result for our Bin workers.

It is the second time that we have balloted in a 12 month period and it is the second time they have delivered a solid vote for strike action.

The message is very clear for all workers facing attacks from employers – join a union and get involved in the union.

The union provides the opportunity to fight back.

I am really proud that our Barnet UNISON members can hold their heads up high along with Tower Hamlets UNISON members, SOAS UNISON members, and UNISON members who work for Wigan-Council commissioned drug and alcohol rehabilitation service ‘We Are With You’ who are currently taking 10 days strike action.

All of these UNISON members have stood together and voted to fight back.”

John Burgess, Branch Secretary, Barnet UNISON.

 End.

Breaking News: Bin workers Trade Dispute meeting with Barnet Council update 1

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2020/09/18/breaking-news-bin-workers-trade-dispute-meeting-with-barnet-council/

Barnet Bin workers dispute update 2

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2020/09/19/barnet-bin-workers-dispute-update/

Barnet Bin workers Update 3

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2020/09/21/barnet-bin-workers-update-3/

*** Pensions: New Annual Benefit Statements to be issued by Capita.

Austerity, Local, News, Pensions, UNISON Campaign

 

Dear Barnet UNISON Members

Sadly the Annual Benefit Statement (ABS) issued by Capita Pensions service this September to LBB staff (not schools) was wrong.

We are urgently seeking confirmation as to when the updated ABS will be sent out as we are aware that the Pension Administration Service is being handed over to a new Company at the end of next month.

Members are understandably worried that if their ABS is wrong it will be hard chasing Capita for data once the service has been handed over to the new company.

Barnet UNISON has also been made aware of a number of other errors different to the one above and we are in contact with the Council on behalf of members to try to resolve these matters.

Lastly, it is important to note that the error that led to the inaccurate ABS being sent out to staff was a PAYROLL error.

The Payroll service is delivered by Capita out of the Belfast office. This service is not being handed to the new company.

Barnet UNISON is concerned that if pay roll errors continue then the Pension Service will not produce accurate Pension figures for members of the scheme. We have repeatedly raised this concern with the Council and will continue to do so for our members.

End.

 

Passenger Transport COVID Update 1.  

Austerity, COVID 19, Local, UNISON Campaign

Thursday 24 September 2020.

Barnet UNISON has been contacted by coach escorts and drivers about COVID safety concerns since the service began at the beginning of September.

The issues are

  1. Overcrowded minibuses which have 10 or more pupils on a bus.
  2. Overcrowded minicabs
  3. COVID Cleansing of private contract vehicles

Barnet UNISON made the point that Government Guidance was a minimum standard and that we want a higher standard of protection for our members especially in light of the fact that a significant number of this workforce had been self-isolating.

Barnet Council have agreed to look at the numbers on the vehicles and the cleansing regime for the private contractor vehicles.

We want to assure all of our members working in Passenger Transport that your safety and welfare are central to what we do.

If you have any concerns please contact the branch on 0208 359 2088 or email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

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