Category: Housing

Bad News for Housing Workers in Barnet Council

Anti - Racism, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Housing, Local, News, UNISON Campaign

On Tuesday 16 July Barnet Council Cabinet Committee met and agreed to carry on with the outsourced Barnet Homes model of employment.

According to one councillor “If something isn’t broken don’t fix it, is my mantra,”

(You can view the discussion and quote two hours, two minutes and 10 seconds on the Council recording of the meeting access via this link https://rb.gy/6d51j0 )

Barnet UNISON had submitted a report to the Cabinet Committee which members can read by clicking on the link below.

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/UNISON-Housing-Service-Report-2024.pdf

I have been attending Council Committee meetings as a UNISON rep for almost 28 years and in all that time one thing that stands out when all councillors are speaking about council services is that they fail to acknowledge that without the workforce there would be no services for residents.

For instance, where they are discussing a decision which has a fundamental impact on the workforce, they refuse to allow UNISON to speak and answer questions from councillors about our own report and recommendations.

Barnet UNISON has hundreds of outsourced members who are all providing services on behalf of Barnet Council, yet they are not entitled to Barnet Council Terms and Condition or access to the Local Government Pension Scheme. Over the past 15 years outsourcing services has been the direction of travel for many of our members.

What councillors and senior officers who draft the reports promoting the outsourcing don’t want to discuss is the detrimental impact of outsourcing on the workforce. They are keen to offer words of comfort, but as our members know words of comfort do not pay the rent, the energy bills, the food shop. There is no discount for outsourced workers when the council tax bill arrives, or travel cost go up again.

We are in the worst cost of living crisis in 77 years and many of our members in the outsourced workforce need to two jobs to survive and even that is not enough, and they are forced to rely on food banks.

What we have in Barnet is a Two-Tier workforce and it is our duty as a trade union to try and negotiate an end to outsourcing.

For Housing workers, it is deeply disappointing that members of the committee do not see the connection between how the staff are treated in terms of pay and terms and conditions and service delivery.

There is only one other ALMO in London whilst every other Housing worker is on Council Terms and Conditions with access to the Pension scheme.

Barnet UNISON believes that Housing workers deserve better which is why we are supporting UNISON National Policy “Bringing Services Home” campaign.

Look out for our communications which start in the Autumn. A campaign must involve member not just the reps.

If you are a Housing worker and have a question, please email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

John Burgess Branch Secretary, Barnet UNISON.

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https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/UNISON-Housing-Service-Report-2024.pdf

Insourcing win at Barnet council

Anti - Racism, Austerity, Health and Safety, Housing, Libraries, Local, National, News, Recruitment, Report, Solidarity, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign

Insourcing win at Barnet council

Over 300 staff in a variety of services like trading standards, environmental health and other regulatory services, will now be transferred back in-house

Staff at Barnet council are due to be transferred back to council employment thanks to a decade-long campaign by UNISON.

The 330 affected workers are currently employed by outsourcing multinational conglomerate, Capita, and are being brought back in house after the council was used as a test case for the outsourcing of local government services.

The staff who work under a joint venture called ‘Capita Re’ in a variety of areas like trading standards, environmental health, planning highways and other regulatory services, will be TUPE transferred back in house on 1 April this year.

In 2012, much of the service provision at the council was outsourced to Capita on decade-long contracts by the Conservative-controlled council, with the intervening 10 years marred by several controversies including a multi-million-pound fraud and contracts running vastly over budget.

Barnet’s UNISON branch has campaigned for services to be brought back in-house since the contracts were initially handed to Capita and there have already been major in-sourcing successes at the council.

In May last year, Labour won control of the council after 20 years of Conservative leadership and, though the contracts had already been due to end next year, the new council has fast-tracked plans by six months to bring some services back in house.

John Burgess, Barnet local government branch secretary, said: “This is good news for staff, good news for residents and good news for the services. I welcome the decision and look forward to welcoming back all the services back into Barnet Council where they all belong.

“For a decade, our branch has campaigned for local government services at Barnet to be brought back in-house and, while we are happy that this latest has been fast tracked, there are still many issues to address for our members who are being TUPE’d.

“These include workplace inequalities such as staff being paid differently for the same role. Barnet UNISON is already seeking discussions with the council about harmonisation of the terms and conditions of the TUPE’d workforce.

“During the worst cost of living crisis in 75 years it is imperative that our branch does it best to look after the interests of our members transferring back into the council.”

https://www.unison.org.uk/news/2023/01/insourcing-win-at-barnet-council/

 

Breaking News: UNISON President & Vice President are joining the mass lobby at Hendon Town Hall Tuesday 1 November

Anti - Racism, ASSIST, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, COVID 19, H&S, Health and Safety, Housing, Local, National, Repairs, Solidarity, TBG Flex, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign, Your Choice Barnet

News in that our UNISON National President Andrea Egan and UNISON National Vice President Amerit Rait are attending the mass lobby outside Hendon Town Hall on Tuesday 1 November from 6 pm in support of the Barnet Strikers.

“I want to thank both Andrea and Amerit for taking time out of their busy schedules to come down and support our Barnet Strikers. This is what leadership means. It’s what workers want to see from their union. Our branch is 100% behind our Barnet Strikers also known as the “Barnet Ten” and so is the leadership at the top of UNISON. I can’t wait to hear the message they will be bringing to the employer the Barnet Group who defending the indefensible at the expense of Barnet Council housing tenants. 200 repairs jobs a week are being cancelled it’s a disgrace.” (John Burgess Branch Secretary, Barnet UNISON).

Directions to the lobby: Nearest tube is Hendon Central on northern line. Turn right out of the station. It’s a 10 minute walk to the top of the hill. Turn right and 200 yards on the left is the Town Hall.

 

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Breaking News: Barnet Strikers are going to Parliament

Anti - Racism, ASSIST, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Care & Support, COVID 19, Health and Safety, Housing, Local, National, News, Repairs, Solidarity, TBG Flex, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign

News in that the Barnet Strikers have been invited to Parliament early next week.

The invite confirms that the news of the Barnet Strikers is beginning to spread beyond the boundary of the London Borough of Barnet.

The first response when we explain the dispute is always the same.

Complete disbelief that an employer would want to defend a position of refusing to pay the first 3 weeks sick pay to a low paid manual worker who was injured at work.

More on this news story later this week.

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