Category: Health and Safety

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

 

 

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.
    • 



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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


 


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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


 


 

			

		

		
		


	
		
			
	

		
		
Special Offer to Barnet UNISON members – Your health and wellbeing
		
		
 
	
		Austerity, Health and Safety, Local, Membership, News, Schools, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			


Barnet UNISON Supporting Statement:


Barnet UNISON is pleased to share the launch of the WorkWell North-Central London programme with our members. This free, government-funded initiative offers vital early-intervention support for workers managing health and wellbeing challenges in the workplace.


We know how important it is for our members to have access to timely, practical support—especially when facing health-related barriers to work. WorkWell provides personalised coaching, expert referrals, and connections to local services, all designed to help employees stay well at work or return to work with confidence.


We strongly encourage any members living in or registered with a GP in Barnet, Enfield, Haringey, Camden, or Islington to consider this opportunity. Whether you’re currently off work or simply looking for support to stay well in your role, WorkWell could make a real difference.


Barnet UNISON is proud to support initiatives like this that prioritise the health and dignity of workers. If you have any questions or need help with a referral, please don’t hesitate to contact us.


Please seee details of the offer below


In solidarity,


Barnet UNISON Branch


WorkWell North-Central London Offer 


Members of Barnet UNSION and beyond are invited to take part in WorkWell North-Central London, a free, government funded, pilot work and health programme. WorkWell aims to help employees manage their health and wellbeing at work, reduce sickness absences, and enable a faster return to work for those who are signed off sick.


We are an early-intervention service, focused on positive health outcomes. Employees who join our programme will be offered 8, weekly coaching sessions to help them identify their health barriers and come up with a plan to overcome them.


On top of personalised coaching sessions, WorkWell helps people navigate the various local provisions on offer through our connections with publicly funded services and voluntary/community organisations. The programme also makes internal referrals to our team of experts in the fields of physical health, mental health, and employment. At the end of the 8 weeks with WorkWell, employees can expect to be equipped with an action plan and signposting to a more specialist service if required.


Employees can refer themselves directly, or UNISON reps are welcome to make referrals on behalf of their colleagues so long as they have their express permission. This can be done:



WorkWell is free to use as it is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Health and Social Care. Shaw Trust has been commissioned to deliver WorkWell North-Central London by the North Central London Integrated Care System.


At present we can accept referrals from people living in, or with a GP in: Barnet, Enfield, Haringey, Camden, and Islington. For those in Westminster, Kensington & Chealsea, Brent, Hammersmith & Fulham, Ealing, Harrow, Hounslow, and Hillingdon, we will gladly make an onward referral to WorkWell West-Central London.


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UNISON Briefing: Scrutinising the Peopletoo Review
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Health and Safety, Local, News, Solidarity	



	
		

			
		
					

			


Dear Members,

We know many of you are concerned about the ongoing review by external consultants Peopletoo, especially with reports of potential savings targets and service changes. We want to reassure you that UNISON is fully engaged in scrutinising this process and challenging anything that could negatively impact your jobs, workload, or working conditions.


What is happening?

Barnet Council has brought in Peopletoo to conduct a “diagnostic review” of services across the Council, The Barnet Group (TBG), and Barnet Education and Learning Service (BELS). Their brief is to identify potential efficiencies and service improvements – but the context includes a pressure to find at least £20 million in savings.


What are we doing about it?

UNISON is:


    

  • Demanding transparency: We’ve asked that both the interim and final reports are shared with trade unions before decisions are made – not after.
    • 

  • Insisting on fair treatment: We’ve made clear that any proposals affecting jobs must include full Equality Impact Assessments (EqIAs), and that unions must be involved at every stage.
    • 

  • Raising detailed questions: We’ve submitted tough questions to Peopletoo on job protection, pay transparency, the risk of redundancies, and whether their recommendations could overload already stretched teams.
    • 

  • Pushing for staff voices: We’ve asked how frontline staff views are being included, and how decisions will be shaped by your experience – not imposed from above.
    • 



What are we watching closely?


    

  • Whether Peopletoo’s recommendations lead to cuts through the back door (e.g. unfilled vacancies or merged teams).
    • 

  • The risk of increased workload and stress if “efficiencies” mean doing more with less.
    • 

  • Unequal treatment between Council staff and those in TBG or BELS – we are insisting on a level playing field for all staff.
    • 

  • Any attempt to avoid scrutiny of senior management or consultants while frontline staff face pressure.
    • 



What you can do:


    

  • Talk to your UNISON rep if you have concerns or see changes happening without consultation.
    • 

  • Share your experiences: We want to make sure your voice is part of our response.
    • 

  • Stay informed – we will keep you updated as the interim report is released (expected late June) and decisions begin to take shape.
    • 



UNISON is committed to protecting your jobs, defending fair treatment, and holding consultants to account. We will not accept changes being made to you, without being done with you.


In solidarity,


Barnet UNISON Branch


 

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
“3.2% is not good enough – members deserve better!”
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Demonstration, Disability, Health and Safety, Housing, Libraries, News, Pensions, Schools, Solidarity, TBG Flex, UNISON Campaign, Your Choice Barnet	



	
		

			
		
					

			


The news is that the response of the employers to the joint trade union National Pay claim for £3,000 is 3.2%.


Barnet UNISON members can view what 3.2% means to their grade by clicking on the link below


https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2025/04/24/national-pay-offer-3-2/


UNISON members know that their pay has fallen behind the cost of living and that they are “all now working one day a week for free.”


If we continue to fail to negotiate a pay award that directly deals with the cost-of-living crisis, soon public sector workers will be working “two days a week for free.”


We are in the worst cost-of-living crisis in 77 years.


Politicians seeking to confuse and defend poor pay talk about inflation rates falling as if that has improved things for our members.


Speaking to some of our lowest paid members in care homes, depots, and schools, they are seriously struggling to survive on poverty wages.


Inflation may go up and down, but prices are not going down and they keep rising:


    

  • 50% rise in local Bus Fares
    • 

  • 41% rise in Water Bills
    • 

  • 22% rise in Stamp prices
    • 

  • 18.4% rise in Energy Bills
    • 

  • 16% rise Rail Cards
    • 

  • 14% rise in Tuition Fees
    • 

  • 4.99% rise in Council Tax
    • 

  • 4.6% rise in Rail Fares
    • 



Whilst the poor are getting poorer, and the rich are getting richer.


We have been here before in 2009 our Barnet UNISON Branch Secretary set out his serious concerns in a letter to Prime Minister Gordon Brown 24 June 2009 


“Barnet Council has made efficiency savings of £80.9m over 7 years, £58.8m in the last 5 years” 


https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/NO_PRIMEMINISTER_0.pdf


15 years ago, Barnet UNISON had concerns about poverty, privatisation and the emergence of the Far-Right politics. In Barnet Council we had hundreds of redundancies for several years as the Council claimed they were not being funded. Things haven’t changed and we had our first round of redundancies last December due to the current financial crisis.


What is clear is that the voices of our members across the Council across workplaces, be it a school, a depot, care home or day centre need to be heard and LOUDLY.


Barnet Council is lobbying the government for more funding, but there needs to be more pressure than that. We all need to add our voices for more funding


We are asking our members to sign the following Petition to Angela Rayner (who used to be a UNISON rep). This petition is not just for our members but can be signed by members’ family and friends or anyone who wants to see an end to the destruction of public services.


https://chng.it/6DSvxfZqhz


 


end.


 

			

		

		
		


	
		
			
	

		
		
Depot workers welcome guest speaker on Injuries at Work
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Disability, Health and Safety, Local, Repairs, Report, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			


Barnet UNISON depot workers welcomed special guest speaker from Thompson’s Solicitors.


The guest speaker spoke about the free services for UNISON members provided by Thompsons.


The main part of the discussion was around reporting accidents at work.


Depot work environment. 


In any depot, where loading and unloading, bending and stretching defines the day, the importance of reporting accidents cannot be overstated.


For depot workers, whose labour is physically demanding, even seemingly minor incidents can have significant consequences. A sprained ankle dismissed as a “little twist,” or a cut brushed off as a “scratch,” can escalate into serious, long-term health issues if left unreported.


Reporting accidents is not about assigning blame; it’s about safeguarding wellbeing. It’s about creating a culture where a worker feels empowered to speak up without fear of reprisal. When an accident is reported, it triggers a chain of events designed to prevent recurrence. It allows for a thorough investigation, identifying potential hazards and implementing corrective measures. This not only protects the individual involved but also their colleagues, fostering a safer working environment for everyone.


Moreover, prompt reporting ensures access to necessary medical attention and support. Early intervention can significantly reduce recovery time and prevent complications. Ignoring an injury can lead to chronic pain, reduced mobility, and even permanent disability, impacting not only a worker’s livelihood but also their quality of life.


Ultimately, reporting accidents is a fundamental act of self-preservation. It’s an acknowledgment that a worker’s health and safety are paramount, and that their wellbeing matters. In the demanding environment of a manual depot, where physical resilience is crucial, reporting every incident, no matter how small, is a vital step towards ensuring a safe and healthy working life.


Barnet UNISON will use our #DepotWednesday meetings to remind and encourage our members to work safely and report, report and report.


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