Why is the mental health social worker dispute ongoing – Part One
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Category: Health and Safety
Mental Health strikers out in High Barnet sharing news of our strike
Barnet Voice : Mental Health crisis newspaper
Support Mental Health social worker strike fundraiser
Strike fundraiser Friday 5 April – Mental Health social worker strike
Barnet UNISON Mental Health strikers have taken 27 days of strike action which equates to 405 lost working days.
Due to the anti-trade union legislation we had to re-ballot the strikers who voted 100% for more strike action.
Our strikers agreed they needed to escalate the dispute as Barnet Council were not taking this dispute seriously.
They have agreed the following timetable of strike action:
- From 15 April to 26 April 2024 (two weeks).
- From 13 May to 1 June 2024 (three weeks).
- From 17 June to 12 July 2024.(four weeks).
This is serious escalation of the dispute.
On behalf of our strikers, Barnet UNISON is inviting supporters to
Strike Fund raiser on Friday 5 April 6- 11 pm
at Pelican House E1 5QJ.
Tickets and more info here:
https://www.outsavvy.com/event/18934/strike-fundraiser
The event is being organised by Young UNISON members in London.
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Social Care and Repair Workers 87% Vote Yes to Action on Pay
“If the those at the top can’t pay up then one of them should go so we do have money. We don’t need so many big Daddies.”
Anju, The Barnet Group UNISON rep
On a turnout of 70%, 98% agreed with Barnet UNISON’s pay claim and 87% said they were willing to take strike action in favour of the pay claim. The overwhelming majority of these are care and support workers.
Workers in The Barnet Group who are affected by the London Living Wage, having no enhanced rates of pay for working nights, bank holidays or overtime rates were surveyed in an indicative ballot for strength of feeling over these issues. Barnet UNISON’s pay claim was put to them.
Shockingly the lowest paid in The Barnet Group were given no pay rise for the whole of 2023! Paying the new rate of the London Living Wage 6 months after the new rate was announced with no backdate does not help the lowest paid.
The pay claim is:
- Backdate the London Living Wage increase to £13.15 to the 1/11/23 and maintain differentials between other grades in YCB.
- Pay Overtime Rates of time and a half Monday to Saturday and double time Sundays and Bank Holidays.
- Pay enhanced rates of 25% Saturday 6am to 10pm; 50% Sunday all day; 100% Bank holiday (25% = time and a quarter; 50% = time and a half; 100% = double time)
- Pay an increased Rate of time and a third for night working (10pm-6am).
Barnet UNISON hopes that the results of the survey will lead to productive talks where consideration will be given to the demands. If no such consideration will be given we will progress to a formal ballot of these members with a view to taking strike action.
On hearing the results this is what some of our reps had to say:
“It’s a good result for us. Actions speak louder than words. We work so hard, we deserve it. We get no thank you’s.”
Tracy, The Barnet Group UNISON rep.
“It’s time to act. It’s a call from the trenches.”
Pauline, The Barnet Group UNISON rep
“The COVID heroes have spoken. The Barnet Group needs to listen.”
Patrick Hunter, Assistant Branch Secretary for Barnet UNISON
“Most of these workers are skilled workers and yet they have rates of pay which are lower than for unskilled work. Is it because they are women? Is it because they are predominantly Black? If Equalities actually mean something, then this needs to be sorted.”
Helen Davies, Chair of Barnet UNISON.
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Breaking News: Barnet UNISON Mental Health social worker re-ballot results
Friday 23 February 2024.
Our Barnet UNISON Mental Health social workers re-ballot results are now in.
We had a 91% turn out with a 100% VOTE for strike action.
Barnet UNISON Mental Health social workers have already taken 27 days of strike action which equates to approximately 4,050 lost contact days for Mental health service users in Barnet.
Today UNISON submitted the results to the Barnet Council Chief Executive.
UNISON has agreed to go into talks with Barnet Council and ACAS. UNISON have agreed a couple of dates in early March.
UNISON has from the outset been prepared to negotiate to reach a resolution to what has become the longest running Mental Health social worker strike in UNISON’s history.
Barnet UNISON has agreed a new strike timetable with our members which will begin in April in the unfortunate event that we are unable to reach a resolution.
The strike timetable would be a significant increase in the number of strike days taken by the social workers so far.
- From 15 April to 26 April 2024 (two weeks).
- From 13 May to 1 June 2024 (three weeks).
- From 17 June to 12 July 2024. (four weeks).
Our members are 100% behind UNISONs negotiating team and remain hopeful that a positive resolution can be secured to avoid any further strike action.
More news later.
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Barnet UNISON reps on Bringing Services Home campaign
Bringing Services Home – Barnet UNISON campaign
Barnet UNISON is proud to announce that we are promoting UNISON Bringing Services Home campaign.
As a branch we have had more than our share of outsourcing. The easy Council experiment was a spectacular failure. It cost more money (yes, we told them it would!) and it did not lead to better services.
In May 2022, Barnet Labour Party won the election with a massive majority and one of their priorities was “Review of contracted out services, in the context of the new administration’s aspiration to bring privatised services back in-house.”
Last year Barnet Labour Party brought back one of the big contracts with Capita and other services on the other Capita contract have been coming back in-house.
The Council is going through a period of healing from the badly advised outsourcing ideology which dominated our Council for over a decade.
Today Barnet UNISON has written to all senior council officers responsible for outsourced contracts seeking a meeting to discuss how and when they are going to review the outsourced service.
Barnet UNISON also want to deal with the Ethnicity Pay Gap which the outsourcing easy Council ideology promoted by always securing the outsourcing option for services which are largely provided by Black workers e.g.
- NSL: Parking Services
- ISS: Catering Services
- Your Choice Barnet: Social Care services
- Norse: Cleaning services
- Blue 9: Security Services.
All the above services were outsourced under the Tories.
Barnet UNISON positively supports the statement of UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:
“Black workers make a vital contribution to the health and care sector but are all too often at the bottom of the pay scale as care workers, porters, healthcare assistants and catering staff. They frequently face shocking discrimination, threatening their health, job security and life chances.”
This why Barnet UNISON is determined to work with the Labour Administration to bring back these services into the Council thus enabling real life meaningful changes for a workforce that is often invisible and often low paid and without occupational sick pay.
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Breaking News: Covid Heroes face the sack by Barnet Council
The Barnet Group is an arm’s length company 100% owned by Barnet Council.
On Friday 9 February 2024, Enablement Home Care workers were told that they were no longer needed.
“We are the best at what we do, that is why we look after people discharged from hospital for 8 weeks till other carers takeover.”
Care worker
“They should be expanding our service, not shutting it, what we do is vital and we do it well”
Care worker
Staff and Barnet UNISON left the meeting with the following questions:
- Enablement is a well-run and valued service – why isn’t TBG expanding rather than closing the service?
- What engagement has taken place with stakeholders – our tenants and clients?
- When will we know if this is a TUPE or a Closure?
- What are they consulting staff and UNISON on? UNISON is clear that TBG need to provide more details before commencing with 121’s?
- When will ‘consultation’ begin and how long will it last?
Background:
This service was handed to TBG after senior officers working for Barnet Council spectacularly failed over the procurement of Aquaflo a private contractor who had been given the contract by Barnet Council to deliver home care for Barnet residents.
“‘Disaster’ – Aquaflo Care company’s takeover from Housing 21 goes badly wrong.” 15th September 2016.
Covid: How quickly senior officers and councillors forget
It is only a few years ago that these workers were called heroes as they went into Barnet residents’ homes to provide care and support whilst many of the senior managers and councillors issued instructions from the safety of their homes.Barnet UNISON will be providing support to all of our members.
Barnet UNISON will be providing support to all of our members and in the meantime, we are calling on Barnet Council to reverse this decision and bring it back in-house to the Adult Social Care directorate where it belongs. The decision by senior officers is at odds with the Labour Party position on creating a National Care Service which is something UNISON supports. “Unison’s general secretary, Christina McAnea, told the Observer: “Care is in crisis and the need for a national service has never been greater.”
More news later.
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