Libraries – Barnet UNISON

Barnet UNISON Launches Potential Equal Pay Claim on Behalf of its female members.

29th July 2025 admin Anti - Racism, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Housing, Libraries, Local, News, Schools, Solidarity, TBG Flex, UNISON Campaign, Your Choice Barnet

Barnet UNISON is urging its female members in the London Borough of Barnet (LBB) to come forward as the union prepares to launch a collective legal challenge over potential equal pay breaches by the Council.

The move follows extensive investigations into pay practices within LBB, particularly in relation to the use of “task and finish” arrangements in the Waste & Recycling service. UNISON believes there is now sufficient evidence to support equal pay claims with reasonable prospects of success.

John Burgess, Branch Secretary of Barnet UNISON, said:

“The possibility that staff – the majority of whom are women – may have been underpaid for years is deeply concerning, especially in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis. Equal Pay is not just a legal right, it’s a fundamental matter of fairness. UNISON is committed to ensuring our members receive the pay they are legally and morally entitled to.”

The union is now asking affected members to complete an Equal Pay case form detailing their job roles, grades, and employment history. This information will allow UNISON to assess each claim and proceed with legal and procedural steps, including lodging a collective grievance and initiating early conciliation.

Barnet UNISON is also reminding staff of the strict six-month legal time limit for making an Equal Pay claim. Anyone who has recently left the Council or changed roles is urged to act quickly.

UNISON has led the fight for Equal Pay in local government for over a decade, winning millions in compensation for underpaid workers. The union will continue to engage in constructive dialogue with Barnet Council while preparing to take legal action where necessary.

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact:

Barnet UNISON at contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

“3.2% is not good enough – members deserve better!”

28th April 2025 admin 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.

Barnet UNISON AGM Tuesday 25 February 2025 4-5.30 pm

4th February 2025 admin Anti - Racism, Austerity, Health and Safety, Housing, Libraries, Local, London Living Wage, Membership, News, Schools, Solidarity, TBG Flex, UNISON Campaign, Your Choice Barnet

It is your democratic right to attend and participate in your UNISON AGM.

It is important that members register to attend.

You have two choices:

You can join in person at the Colindale office, or you can join online.

Please click on the link below to register to join the meeting.

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcrd-GorTsrGtQzqR9L3h9L-z1mKymCRU_i

End.

“Three Chief Executives and one plumber”: The unfinished story

13th December 2024 admin Anti - Racism, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Libraries, Local, News, Report, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

Week One of Barnet Council redundancy consultation has ended with six restructures across the Council with more to follow next week.

Barnet UNISON has published several articles where we believe there are savings to be made before any services are stopped or staff dismissed.

Please see the articles published to date below.

UPDATED: Barnet Council the Tale of “Three Chief Executives and one plumber”

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/10/18/barnet-council-the-tale-of-three-chief-executives-and-one-plumber/

No stone left unturned” Number 1: Update on Barnet Council Agency Spend.

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/11/25/no-stone-left-unturned-number-1-update-of-barnet-council-agency-spend/

“No stone left unturned” Number 2: CEO The Barnet Group & Plumber with oncosts.

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/11/25/no-stone-left-unturned-number-2-ceo-the-barnet-group-plumber-with-oncosts/

“No stone left unturned” Number 3: Does it make sense to have a Barnet Council CEO & CEO The Barnet Group.

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/11/25/no-stone-left-unturned-number-3-does-it-make-sense-to-have-a-barnet-council-ceo-ceo-the-barnet-group/

“No stone left unturned” Number 4: What about the senior management review?

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/11/25/no-stone-left-unturned-number-4-what-about-the-senior-management-review/

“No stone left unturned” What is The Barnet Group (TBG)? Number 5: Part One

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/11/15/part-one-who-is-the-barnet-group/

“No stone left unturned” What is The Barnet Group (TBG)? Number 6: Part Two

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/11/15/9925/

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

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/11/15/part-three-who-is-the-barnet-group/

“No stone left Unturned No 8: “Fixing the foundations or looking after corporate big businesses?”

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/12/04/no-stone-left-unturned-no-8-fixing-the-foundations-or-looking-after-corporate-big-businesses/

No stone left unturned No 9: Bah Humbug “Withdrawal of Tea and Coffee.

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/12/04/no-stone-left-unturned-no-9-bah-humbug-withdrawal-of-tea-and-coffee/

“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/

“No stone left unturned” Number 11: We got to talk Capita

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/12/04/no-stone-left-unturned-number-11-we-got-to-talk-capita/

“No stone left unturned” Number 12: Service Pressures

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/12/04/no-stone-left-unturned-number-12-service-pressures/

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

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/12/10/no-stone-left-unturned-number-13-economies-of-scale/

End.

“No stone left unturned” Number 12: Service Pressures

4th December 2024 admin Austerity, Libraries, Local, News, Report, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

UNISON comment:

We have produced a graphic to show how service pressures appear to be driving the financial crisis.

What is surprising is the pace the figures are changing.

For Barnet UNISON members who are now aware about the Budget setting process, the Council must present and pass a lawful budget each year.

Once of the financial considerations when setting a lawful budget is to consider the risks such as service pressures on the budget. For example, Adult Social Care (Communities, Adults and Health) is always under pressure due to demand. UNISON understands financial information is provided to senior managers and they must make a decision as to what level of service pressures their budget is likely to have for following years.

In the case of Adult Social Care if you look at the first table at the top of the graphic which was agreed at the Council Budget Meeting on 1 March 2022, Adult Social Care was forecasting services pressures of £3.2 million in 2023/24 and £2.2 million in £2.22024/25 and another £2.2million for 25/26.

If you look at the second table showing a year later, which was agreed at the Council Budget Meeting on 28 February 2024, there are changes. Adults Social Care has changed their forecast from £2.2million to £22.3million. That is a massive increase. However, in the same table Adults Social Care forecast that service pressures for 2025/26 will only be £87,000.

Now look at table three. This table is going to Cabinet Committee on 5 December 2024. Adults Social Care has revised its service pressure from £87,000 to £23.7million for 2025/26.

Below is a list of questions which UNISON has requested a response.

1.Is the right financial information being made available to inform decision makers?

1.1 When the financial information is being produced is the most up to date service demand properly understood and considered?

2. Do the decision makers understand the information being made available?

2.1 Do service managers promptly identify and prioritise action plan to mitigate service pressures?

3.How can the service pressures being agreed at Council Committee meetings be so wrong?

4.How can service pressures be relied on going forward to support a legal budget?

End.

“No stone left unturned” Number 11: We got to talk about Capita

4th December 2024 admin Austerity, Libraries, Local, News, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

What can we say about the Capita contract that we have not already said.

It should never have happened.

Below is the latest update graphic (courtesy of Barnet resident and Blogger Mr Reasonable) on how much Barnet Council has paid Capita over the last 14 years.

Whilst a great deal of the services have been brought back in-house they still have the following services

Customer Services
IT
Revenues and Benefits
Payroll

Barnet Council extended the contract with Capita for the above services which guarantees Capita around £20 million a year until the contract ends mid-2026.

Barnet Council has paid out over £254million more that the contract price.

We are in a difficult place in terms of the financial crisis and every penny counts.

Capita is running the Revenues service and that means their performance in relation to collection rates for Council Tax and Business Rates can have a direct impact on the financial viability of Barnet Council.

It is disappointing to read that according to the recent Barnet Council Review of Capita report that Capita is underperforming and has been set an improvement plan.

This means the Council is not getting the income it should be collecting which means services and jobs are put at risk unnecessarily.

This has nothing to do with temporary accommodation or adult social care spend. This is something for which the Council has sole responsibility. Before this service was outsourced it was the highest performing service in London.

Now it is underperforming and according to Barnet Council a 1% increase in Council Tax would bring in an additional £2.3m for the Council.

For Business Rates Collections, every 1% improvement in collection is worth £324k per annum to the council.

UNISON Comment:

The improvement plan is meaningless and does not address the crisis facing services and staff. Barnet Council must enforce the contract and reduce the contract payments to try and mitigate the need for redundancies and cuts to services.

End.

Vote YES for a Pay Rise not a Pay Cut

3rd April 2023 admin Anti - Racism, Austerity, Housing, Libraries, Local, National, Schools, Solidarity, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign

Insourcing win at Barnet council

2nd February 2023 admin 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/