Category: News

Non UNISON news

Update on Pay Negotiations with TBG

Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Cost of Living Crisis, Housing, Local, News, Pensions, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

Barnet UNISON recently met with senior representatives from The Barnet Group (TBG) to discuss our 2024/25 pay and terms & conditions claim covering members in YCB and Barnet Homes.

At the meeting, TBG outlined what they describe as significant financial pressures across both organisations. They highlighted:

  • Very small projected operating surpluses for the coming year
  • Accumulated losses within YCB
  • Ongoing pressures linked to council funding and the Housing Revenue Account
  • Market challenges within residential care, including difficulties cross-subsidising council placements

They also referenced a recent external benchmarking review of extra care services, which they say shows TBG offering comparatively generous terms and conditions relative to parts of the wider care market.

UNISON’s Position

We made clear that our claim reflects the reality members are living through:

  • The cost of living crisis continues to hit housing and care workers hard.
  • Pay compression over many years has left many members feeling worse off in real terms.
  • In care services in particular, financial strain is severe, with some members telling us they are struggling to meet basic costs.

We emphasised that Barnet Homes and YCB do not function without their workforce. Any discussion about sustainability must include fair and sustainable pay for staff.

We also made clear that TBG is not bound by national NJC negotiations. That is why we have formally submitted our full claim locally and expect meaningful negotiation on all elements.

What Happens Next

TBG has committed to providing full costings for the outstanding elements of our claim, including pension implications. We expect that information before 24 March.

Once negotiations are exhausted, members will be consulted on the employer’s response. That would be a consultative ballot — not a strike ballot — allowing members to decide whether the offer is acceptable or whether further action is required.

This is a challenging negotiation. We recognise the financial arguments being made by the employer — but we also recognise the very real financial pressures our members are facing.

We will continue to press your case firmly and constructively.

Further updates will follow once we receive TBG’s full response.

End.

 

 

End of an Era: Barnet UNISON Calls for Revenues & Benefits to Be Brought Back In-House as Capita Era Closes

Austerity, Insourcing, Local, National, News, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

Barnet UNISON has today called on Barnet Council’s Cabinet Committee to seize what it describes as a “historic moment” for the borough by bringing the Revenues & Benefits service back under direct council control.

After 13 years of Capita delivering major council services under the previous Conservative administration’s One Barnet outsourcing programme, the remaining contracts are now approaching expiry in September 2026.

“This is the end of an era in Barnet,” said John Burgess, Branch Secretary of Barnet UNISON.
“For 13 years the Council has relied on a mass outsourcing model. It has been controversial, heavily scrutinised and widely debated. Now Members have the opportunity to take a different direction.”

The Cabinet Committee on 24 February is being asked to approve steps that would allow new outsourced contracts to be awarded for the remaining services, including Revenues & Benefits — the service responsible for Council Tax and Business Rates collection and key elements of income recovery.

Barnet UNISON’s report argues that Revenues & Benefits is too fundamental to the Council’s financial resilience and too central to residents’ lives to sit outside direct public control.

“This is not a back-office technical function,” Burgess said.
“It is the service that determines how council income is secured and how arrears are managed. It affects every household in Barnet. Decisions about income collection and recovery should be democratically accountable — not managed through contract monitoring and improvement plans.”

The union’s submission highlights that council reports continue to reference collection pressures and governance mechanisms to manage risk. Barnet UNISON argues that monitoring contractors is not the same as having direct operational control over a core sovereign income function.

“After 13 years, this is the moment to draw a line under One Barnet,” Burgess added.
“Labour now has the opportunity to restore direct council control over a vital public service and demonstrate that public income functions belong in the public sector.”

Barnet UNISON is urging Cabinet Committee to:

  • Reject further outsourcing of Revenues & Benefits
  • Instruct officers to prepare an in-house delivery plan
  • Confirm that income generation and recovery policy should sit directly within the Council

“This decision will shape Barnet for years to come,” Burgess said.
“We believe this is the right moment to bring Revenues & Benefits home.”

ENDS

 

Holiday Pay Update: Talks Paused Until Barnet Council Provides Key Information

Austerity, Cost of Living Crisis, Local, News, UNISON Campaign

Talks with the London Borough of Barnet (LBB) on holiday pay have currently paused because UNISON is still waiting for the Council to provide some basic information about how it is working out holiday pay for staff who regularly work overtime.

This matters because holiday pay is not just a routine payroll issue — it affects real money in members’ pockets. UNISON is determined to get this right. We do not want to sign off any arrangement and later discover it does not meet the legal requirements. That would risk further underpayments and create unnecessary disputes that we are trying to avoid.

We have told LBB that as soon as the Council provides the information, we will share it promptly with UNISON’s legal advisers so we can confirm whether the approach is lawful and properly covers all Barnet workers who work overtime — including staff in community schools.

If the approach is confirmed as lawful, we will move straight on to negotiating back pay. UNISON’s starting position is that this issue should have been addressed years ago, and we will be pressing for back pay to go back as far as possible.

When LBB reaches a final offer, we will share the details with members and consult on whether you want to accept the compensation payment. The final outcome will depend on your feedback once you can see what the payment looks like. Please keep an eye out for further updates

PRESS RELEASE: Barnet UNISON demands fair pay for outsourced cleaners: end delayed wages and implement London Living Wage from announcement date

Anti - Racism, Austerity, News, Report, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

Barnet UNISON demands fair pay for outsourced cleaners: end delayed wages and implement London Living Wage from announcement date

Barnet UNISON is calling on the London Borough of Barnet (LBB) and its contractor Norse to end unfair pay practices affecting outsourced cleaners — including delayed wage payments and the six-month delay many contractors apply before implementing the new London Living Wage (LLW) rate.

The union’s call follows testimony from a cleaner working on a Council contract who described the daily reality of trying to raise a family in London on the LLW during the cost-of-living crisis.

“Food is so expensive now. Sometimes it’s hard to buy even basic food — and it’s even harder when you have children… On top of that I have to find money for gas and electricity… Sometimes I have to borrow money from family.”

The cleaner also highlighted what Barnet UNISON describes as a stark two-tier system, where outsourced workers are treated differently from colleagues employed directly by the Council:

“It’s unfair that my employer holds onto my pay for another 12 days before they pay me. I’m working alongside council workers who get their pay at the end of the month… Why are we treated differently?”

Concern over Norse Group pay schedule

Barnet UNISON has written to the Chief Executive of the Norse Group, a local authority trading company owned by Norfolk County Council, which holds the contract to provide cleaning services for Barnet Council.

Norse Group states publicly that it aims to “improve people’s lives”, deliver “ethical profit for the public sector”, and “invest in our people” through recruitment, training, and retention.

However, Barnet UNISON says the pay arrangements for cleaners on the Barnet contract do not reflect those values. Based on Norse’s published four-weekly pay schedule, cleaners can be paid 10–12 days after the end of the pay period — meaning many are already well into the next working period before receiving wages they have already earned.

In its letter to Norse Group’s Chief Executive, Barnet UNISON urged an urgent intervention to end the practice and move to prompt pay dates.

London Living Wage should be paid when it is announced

Barnet UNISON is also calling for a procurement change at LBB: a requirement that the LLW uplift is implemented from the date it is announced, rather than being delayed until 1 April. The LLW is typically announced in October, leaving workers waiting roughly six months for pay increases designed to help them meet living costs.

As the cleaner put it:

“Prices don’t wait six months. Rent doesn’t wait. Food doesn’t wait. Gas and electricity don’t wait. If the London Living Wage is the rate people need to live on, then it should be paid from the moment it’s announced.”

Barnet UNISON’s demands

Barnet UNISON is calling for:

  1. An end to delayed wage payments on outsourced contracts — wages should be paid promptly at the end of the pay period (or as close as reasonably possible), not held back for over a week.
  2. A contractual clause in all future outsourced contracts requiring the new London Living Wage rate to be implemented from the announcement date, not months later.
  3. Clear contract monitoring and enforcement, so contractors that want to win or retain LBB work must meet basic fair work standards.

Statement from Barnet UNISON Branch Chair

Helen Davies Branch Chair of Barnet UNISON, said:

“Our cleaners keep Barnet’s buildings safe, clean and working — yet many are among the lowest paid workers connected to Council services. In a cost-of-living crisis, it is simply unacceptable for any contractor to delay paying people what they have already earned, or to delay implementing the London Living Wage uplift for months after it is announced.

Barnet UNISON is proud to stand with our outsourced members. We are calling on Norse Group and Barnet Council to act now: end delayed pay practices, implement the LLW from the announcement date, and ensure every contract reflects fair treatment and dignity at work.”

Notes to editors

  • Barnet UNISON is the recognised trade union representing Barnet Council staff and many outsourced workers delivering Council services.
  • The worker quoted is anonymous to protect their identity.
  • Norse Group is a local authority trading company owned by Norfolk County Council and operates through partnerships and joint ventures with councils.

Media contact:
Barnet UNISON
contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

ENDS

 

 

A London Cleaner’s Reality on Barnet Councils outsourced cleaning contract : Working Hard, Still Struggling

Anti - Racism, Health and Safety, Local, London Living Wage, News, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

I’m a cleaner on a Council contract. I’m proud of the work I do — it matters. But I want people to understand what it’s really like trying to live and raise a family in London on the London Living Wage.

When people talk about the cost-of-living crisis, it can sound like something on the news. For me, it’s everyday life.

Food is so expensive now. Sometimes it’s hard to buy even basic food. And it’s even harder when you have children — they’re hungry all the time, and you can’t just tell them to wait. You do everything you can to make it work, but it never feels like enough.

Then there are clothes. Children grow so fast and they still need what everyone else needs: shoes that fit, warm coats, school things. On top of that I have to find money for gas and electricity. Those bills don’t stop. They don’t care what you earn.

Sometimes I have to borrow money from family. That’s not easy. It’s embarrassing and it’s painful, because you want to stand on your own feet. But when everything costs more and your wages stay the same, you end up with no choice.

What makes it even harder is the way we’re treated at work compared to other people around us.

It’s unfair that my employer holds onto my pay for another 12 days before they pay me. I’m working alongside council workers who get their pay at the end of the month. They don’t have to wait for the wages they’ve earned. Why are we treated differently?

We’re doing our jobs. We’re turning up. We’re keeping places clean, safe and working properly. But we are the lowest paid staff — and everything is made that much harder for us.

We only get the London Living Wage. We don’t get sick pay. That means if I’m ill, or if something happens, it’s not just a health worry — it becomes a money worry too. You start thinking, “If I can’t work, how will I pay bills? How will I buy food?” That’s not how anyone should have to live.

And another thing that doesn’t feel right is the delay in getting the London Living Wage increase. The new rate is announced in October, but a lot of employers don’t bring it in until 1 April. That’s about six months of waiting.

But prices don’t wait six months. Rent doesn’t wait. Food doesn’t wait. Gas and electricity don’t wait. If the London Living Wage is the rate people need to live on, then it should be paid from the moment it’s announced — not half a year later.

London is an expensive city. I work hard. I’m not asking for special treatment. I just want fairness — and to be treated like my council worker colleagues. I want to be paid on time. I want proper sick pay. And I want the London Living Wage paid when it’s announced, because that’s when families like mine actually need it.

That’s why I support Barnet UNISON’s campaign to make sure Council contracts include a clause so the new London Living Wage rate is applied from the announcement date — not months later. Because people like me shouldn’t have to struggle this much just to get by.

 

End.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 27 January 2026 Your Choice Barnet care workers demand fair pay, fair terms and access to LGPS — “time to end this injustice”

Anti - Racism, Austerity, Barnet Group, Disability, Local, News, Solidarity, TBG Flex, UNISON Campaign, Your Choice Barnet

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
27 January 2026

Your Choice Barnet care workers demand fair pay, fair terms and access to LGPS — “time to end this injustice”

Barnet UNISON has submitted a formal Pay and Terms & Conditions claim to The Barnet Group (TBG) on behalf of workers delivering adult social care through Your Choice Barnet, including staff on YCB contracts and “TBG Flex” contracts.

The union says the claim is aimed at ending a long-running “two-tier workforce”, where care and support workers delivering publicly commissioned services are not on council terms and conditions and do not have access to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).



What Your Choice Barnet workers are demanding (from 1 April 2026)


The claim, submitted for the 2026/27 period, includes:


PAY


An increase of £3,000 or 10% (whichever is greater) across pay points/rates


A £15 per hour minimum rate for all staff


Applied consistently to overtime, sleep-ins/unsocial hours payments, enhancements, allowances and other pay-related payments, with no detrimental changes to existing arrangements


TERMS & CONDITIONS


A two-hour reduction in the standard working week with no loss of pay, implemented in a way that protects service users and staffing levels Harmonisation to a standard 36 hour contract


One additional day of annual leave


ENDING THE TWO-TIER WORKFORCE


A commitment to move Your Choice Barnet staff onto equivalent core terms and conditions to Barnet Council/NJC standards


A single, transparent pay structure with clear progression, equality-proofed arrangements, covering all staff including those on TBG Flex contracts


PENSIONS


Access to the LGPS, including a route-map meeting with stakeholders (TBG, Barnet Pension Fund/LBB as administering authority, and UNISON), and no detriment to staff


Barnet UNISON has requested a formal negotiation meeting and has given management four weeks to respond.




“Care workers are being exploited in one of the most expensive cities in the world”


Helen Davies, Barnet UNISON Branch Chair and UNISON SGE representative, said:


“Your Choice Barnet staff provide vital care and support to vulnerable adults, yet many are treated as second-class compared to council employees delivering public services. Keeping care workers outside council terms and conditions and excluding them from the Local Government Pension Scheme is unfair — and it amounts to exploitation of a predominantly low-paid workforce.


“This is London, one of the most expensive cities in the world. People who deliver life-changing care should not be forced to do so on worse terms and without a proper public service pension.


“It’s time to end this injustice. Barnet UNISON’s claim is straightforward: fair pay, fair conditions, and access to LGPS for the care workers who keep services going every day. We are calling on The Barnet Group to negotiate seriously and reach a fair settlement.”


Notes to editors


    

  • Your Choice Barnet delivers adult social care services on behalf of the London Borough of Barnet and is part of The Barnet Group.
    • 

  • Barnet UNISON represents care and support staff across Barnet, including staff employed by The Barnet Group and its subsidiaries.
    • 

  • The claim applies to Your Choice Barnet staff, including those on TBG contracts and “TBG Flex” contracts.
    • 



Contact


For more information, interviews, or to support the campaign:

Barnet UNISON – contactus@barnetunison.org.uk


End. 


2026.01.07 leaflet (YCB)

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
Your Choice Barnet (Adult Social Care): UNISON pay & terms claim being submitted next week
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Barnet Group, Local, News, TBG Flex, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			


Barnet UNISON is preparing to submit a collective Pay & Terms and Conditions claim for the Your Choice Barnet (Adult Social Care) workforce for 2026/27.


Important: as of today, Wednesday 21 January, the claim has not been submitted.

We are giving members advance notice now so everyone understands the timetable and what happens next.


What’s happening and when


    

  • Next step: Barnet UNISON will submit the claim to management next Tuesday, 26 January, in line with the scheduled JNCC meeting.
    • 

  • After the JNCC: We will share the full details of the claim with members and publish an update on management’s response and next steps.
    • 



Why UNISON is doing this


    

  • Members across Your Choice Barnet have been clear that we need a serious, collective push on pay, terms and conditions and fair treatment for staff delivering adult social care on behalf of Barnet Council. UNISON is acting on that instruction by bringing forward a formal claim for 2026/27.
    • 

  • This is also about protecting the service: fair pay and decent conditions are essential for recruitment and retention, continuity of care and the quality of support for service users.
    • 



What you can expect from UNISON


    

  • A clear members’ briefing after the JNCC meeting on 26 January
    • 

  • A summary of management’s response and what it means for staff
    • 

  • Next-step plans, including how members can support the claim and strengthen our negotiating position
    • 



What you can do now


    

  • Make sure your contact details are up to date so you receive the members’ briefing.
    • 

  • Talk to your colleagues and encourage them to join UNISON — the stronger our membership, the stronger our leverage.
    • 



We’ll publish the claim details and a members’ update immediately after the JNCC meeting on Tuesday 26 January.


End.

			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
Barnet UNISON congratulates Andrea Egan on election as UNISON General Secretary
		
		
 
	
		Austerity, News, Solidarity	



	
		

			
		
					

			


Barnet UNISON sends our warm congratulations to Andrea Egan on her election as UNISON’s next General Secretary. (UNISON National)


Andrea will begin her five-year term on 22 January 2026, and we look forward to working with her in the year ahead to defend public services and deliver real improvements for members across local government and beyond. (UNISON National)


As Barnet UNISON, our priorities remain clear: protecting jobs and conditions, winning fair pay, tackling inequality (including equal pay), and standing up for the services our communities rely on. We’ll be engaging with Andrea’s new leadership team as 2026 begins—and we’ll keep members updated on what it means for our campaigning and negotiations in Barnet.


In solidarity,

Barnet UNISON


End. 

			

		

		
		


	
		
			
	

		
		
Holiday Pay Compensation Negotiations with Barnet Council – Barnet UNISON Fights for Every Penny
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Local, News, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign	



	
		

			
		
					

			


Barnet UNISON is currently in negotiations with the London Borough of Barnet over compensation for underpaid holiday pay for workers who regularly work overtime.


In the middle of a cost of living crisis, when our members are struggling with rent, mortgages, food, fuel and rising debt, it is simply not acceptable that money which should have been in workers’ pay has not been paid. Our job as your union is clear:

👉 Get as much money into our members’ pockets as possible, as fairly and as quickly as we can.


We have another negotiation meeting with the employer on Monday 15 December 2025 and our aim is to secure a compensation offer that we can put to members early in the New Year.




What is the issue about?


For years, depot workers and other council staff have:


    

  • Worked regular, predictable overtime, and
    • 

  • Taken annual leave, during which their holiday pay did not reflect the overtime they usually earn.
    • 



The law – backed up by court decisions – says that when you are on holiday, you should not be financially penalised for taking that leave. Where overtime is regular, it should form part of your “normal pay” for at least part of your annual leave.


Barnet Council only started making an extra holiday-related payment on overtime from 1 April 2025. That leaves a period where many staff who worked regular overtime were very likely underpaid while on holiday.


Because of strict time limits in the legal system, we are not pursuing this through the Employment Tribunal. Instead, Barnet UNISON is:


🔹 Pursuing a collective compensation deal with Barnet Council for all affected workers.


This is not a “nice to have” – it is money our members should have had at a time when every pound really matters.




Why this matters now – hardship and the cost of living crisis


We are hearing, day in, day out, from members who are:


    

  • Skipping meals or relying on foodbanks
    • 

  • Struggling with rent and mortgage payments
    • 

  • Cutting back on heating
    • 

  • Juggling multiple jobs and overtime just to stay afloat
    • 



Many of the workers affected by this issue are low paid depot workers and other frontline staff who have kept services running through austerity, the pandemic and the current financial crisis facing the Council.


For years they have worked overtime, often at short notice and under pressure, and then lost out on pay when they took their annual leave. That is not just a legal issue – it is a fairness and dignity issue.


Barnet UNISON is absolutely clear:


We will not allow this to be swept under the carpet or reduced to a token gesture.

We are fighting for real money, for real people, facing real hardship.




What are we trying to secure?


Our objectives are:


    

  1. A fair compensation package for all affected workers who have regularly worked overtime and were underpaid while on annual leave.
    2. 

  2. A deal that recognises the higher impact on low paid workers, especially depot staff and other frontline roles.
    3. 

  3. A clear, lawful and transparent system going forward so that:

      

    • Holiday pay properly reflects regular overtime; and
      • 

    • This situation cannot happen again.
      • 

    

    4. 



We are not interested in a token, one-size-fits-all gesture that barely touches what’s been lost. Any offer will be:


    

  • Modelled and tested against what members could reasonably have expected to receive, and
    • 

  • Consulted on with members before UNISON takes a position.
    • 





What happens next?


    

  • 15 December 2025 – Barnet UNISON meets with Barnet Council alongside the other unions. We will push to agree:

      

    • Terms of Reference
      • 

    • Information disclosure
      • 

    • A negotiation timetable
      • 

    

    • 

  • Early 2026 – Our goal is to secure a compensation proposal to take to members early in the New Year.
    • 

  • Any proposal will be:

      

    • Explained clearly
      • 

    • Subject to consultation
      • 

    • And, if appropriate, a ballot of affected members.
      • 

    

    • 



If the Council drags its feet or presents an offer that is clearly unfair, Barnet UNISON will consult members on next steps, including the possibility of industrial action.




Solidarity statement from Helen Davies, Branch Chair, Barnet UNISON


“Our members are living through a brutal cost of living crisis.


The very people who keep this borough going – depot workers, street scene staff, care workers, those working long hours on overtime – have been short-changed on their holiday pay for years.


Barnet UNISON is absolutely determined to get every penny we can back into our members’ pockets. This is not abstract negotiation – it’s about heating, food, rent, debt and dignity.


We will go into the meeting on 15 December with a clear message: our members cannot afford more delay, and they will not accept a token gesture.


We are asking all our members to stand together in solidarity. When we fight together, we win together.” – Helen Davies, Branch Chair, Barnet UNISON




If you are a Barnet Council worker who regularly works overtime and you’re not currently a UNISON member, now is the time to join.


📩 If you have questions about whether you may be affected by this issue, please contact the Barnet UNISON office.


End.

			

		

		
		


	

			  

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