Category: News
Non UNISON news
The Truth about the Tories Magic Money Tree: Reject the Pay cut
Breaking News: Official Strike ballot begins for Barnet Council Housing Repairs workers
25 August 2022.
On Thursday 25 August our Council Housing Repairs members are being balloted for strike action after talks broke down yesterday.
Their employer is called Barnet Homes, which is part of The Barnet Group, which is 100% owned by Barnet Council.
The reason for the strike is the refusal of the employer to pay sick pay to a worker who injured himself at work.
The worker is a low paid manual worker. We are not talking big money here.
The principle is an important one. When a worker is injured at work they should be in receipt of sick pay. The fact that we are in the middle of the biggest cost of living crisis in 75 years makes the decision of the employer not to pay is not just wrong but cruel.
Barnet UNISON had conducted an indicative ballot which generated a 100% turnout and a 100% vote for strike if our member is not given sick pay.
In the talks the employer seemed oblivious to the terror the cost-of-living crisis is having on their low paid staff.
We will continue to keep the door open to resolve this dispute, but the ballot has started and is due end 15 September, which means there is still time for the employer to do the right thing.
As “The Barnet Group” are owned by Barnet Council, Barnet UNISON will now escalate to Barnet Council and Barnet Labour Party to try to secure an end to this dispute.
End.
Note to Editors: Contact details: Barnet UNISON on or 020 8359 2088 or email: Helen.Davies@barnetunison.org.uk
Background:
Barnet Responsive Repairs workers referred to UNISON’s Industrial Action Committee
Barnet Council Repairs Operatives 100% turnout and 100% vote for strike action.
Barnet Council’s Company Refuse to Show Compassion for Injured Worker https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2022/07/13/barnet-councils-company-refuse-to-show-compassion-for-injured-worker/
Barnet UNISON National Pay Comic Strip
Barnet UNISON Depot workers rejecting National Pay offer
Why we must fight for a Pay rise and not a Pay cut.
Barnet UNISON reps at our Branch Executive meeting agreed that Barnet UNISON would make a recommendation to our members to reject the Employers offer.
Below are some of the reasons why we have taken this position.
- Local Government Pay has fallen by 27.5% since 2010 because of 12 years of Tory Austerity Pay Cuts.
- The latest offer is another Pay cut not a Pay rise.
- The Tories Austerity Policy is to make us all poorer.
Politicians claim there is no magic money tree
- Shell made record profits of nearly £10bn between April and June
- BT Group announced profits £400 million in the first quarter of this year.
- BT made “1.3 billion and gave £750 million to shareholders.
- British Gas owner Centrica profits increased fivefold by 411% to £1.3 billion as our energy bills continue to soar.
- BT CEO Philip Jansen earned a total of £3,460,000 up 32% from the £2,628,000 he received in 2021.
- Railways made £5 billion in profit last year.
What Tory Austerity Policies are doing to us.
- UK households face annual energy bills of £3,850, this has tripled since the start of 2022.
- Household energy bills £500 a month.
- 5.8 million people in England, Scotland and Wales, both in and out of work – 40% of universal credit claimants are workers.
- 5 million people in the UK lived in food poverty between 2019 – 2020.
- Workers are turning to food banks because they don’t have enough money.
- Foodbanks are running out of food because they can’t cope with the demand.
- School support staff are missing meals in order they can feed their own children at home.
What can we do?
Barnet UNISON members are going to carry out a National Pay survey. It is important that every single member completes the survey and posts it back. First, we need over 50% of members to vote in the survey. Second, we want most of those voting to Vote Reject. “UK inflation could reach 15% by start of 2023, experts say” Every month inflation rises makes this offer worse for more of our members.
Barnet UNISON will issue the National Pay survey on Thursday 1 September until 5pm, Friday 16 September.
Members will receive an email with a link to the survey. Those with no access to email will receive a hard copy survey.
End.
Barnet Responsive Repairs workers referred to UNISON’s Industrial Action Committee
‘We do physical work, our comrade was injured working for Barnet Homes, we are standing with him against an employer that feels it doesn’t have to pay him – it could’ve happened to any of us’.
(Barnet Repairs worker and UNISON member).
Barnet Homes, a subsidiary of Barnet Council’s Local Authority Trading Company the Barnet Group, is refusing to pay sick pay to a worker injured whilst at work.
The demand from Responsive Repairs workers is simple – pay a colleague who was injured at work for time off to rest and recuperate from his injury.
Barnet UNISON met with the CEO of the Barnet Group, a Local Authority Trading Company which is fully owned by Barnet Council, on Wednesday the 27th of July to try and reach an agreement.
The Barnet Group although seeing the merits of paying a worker who sustained an injury at work while working for the Barnet Group, has refused to do so.
Barnet UNISON’s and the workers we represent response to this stance is simple:
NO ONE who is injured while at work should be left without sick pay from their employer.
Barnet UNISON will now move to requesting a ballot for industrial action from London Region – and will be requesting all out continuous strike action.
Barnet UNISON sincerely hope that this will not be necessary and that Barnet Homes, The Barnet Group and Barnet Council will see sense and pay a worker who was injured while working for them.
End.
Note to Editors: Contact details: Barnet UNISON on or 020 8359 2088 or email: Helen.Davies@barnetunison.org.uk
Background:
Barnet Council Repairs Operatives 100% turnout and 100% vote for strike action.
Barnet Council’s Company Refuse to Show Compassion for Injured Worker https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2022/07/13/barnet-councils-company-refuse-to-show-compassion-for-injured-worker/
Barnet UNISON National Pay Offer Grade table
We have provided a National Pay Offer Grade table to show the grade information for all Barnet Council workers.
The Barnet UNISON National Pay Offer Grade table will show:
- Your current grade with hourly rates
- Your current grade with the employer’s proposal with new hourly rates
- Your current grade with Joint Trade Union demand with new hourly rates
What is the Joint Trade Union demand?
The Joint Trade Union demand was £2k or RPI whichever is greater. (this was before the escalating Cost of Living Crisis had taken hold of our economy.
Retail Price Index (RPI) is currently 11.8% which means the employers offer is less than UNISONs demand for all Council grades.
However, in the news they are predicting RPI will reach 18%.
https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/rpi-inflation-forecast-cost-of-living-niesr/
On top of this bad news there is a National Energy Bill crisis. The average household energy costs are predicted to reach as much as £3,400 a year. Energy bills have tripled since the start of the year.
All the other Cost of Living Crisis pressures such as fuel, food, rent, mortgages, travel are all increasing with no sign of this ending.
It is important that UNISON secures the best pay deal for our members.
In the coming weeks we will begin a consultative National Pay ballot of our members.
In the meantime if you want any further information on the National Pay offer, please ring Barnet UNISON on 0208 359 2088 or email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk
End.
A Victory for common sense as Barnet Outreach workers dispute is resolved.
Last week we sat down with The Barnet Group (TBG) to try to reach a resolution and we can now report that TBG have agreed the following:
‘We have now completed the evaluation of salaries and will increase existing staff pay in line with the newly evaluated jobs – and backdated to 1st July.’
Barnet UNISON delighted to announce that although this group of workers was balloted for strike action, recording a massive 100% vote on an 88% turn out, the Barnet Group has accepted the demands of the workers, so strike action will no longer be necessary.
‘I just want to say a massive thank you to you for assisting us all outreach staff in our fight to get what we deserved our pay rise and it was successful. I also want to say if I wasn’t for me being a union member this could not have been achieved. (I have to say I was thinking about cutting costs and skipping out my membership with the union). But boy I’m so glad I didn’t it has been very worthwhile, beneficial and I am so grateful for all the important and hard work that the union do .’ (Barnet Outreach worker and UNISON member)
‘I cannot thank you enough for the wonderful job you are doing. The strength to challenge the pay inequality was tapped from Barnet Unison, knowing that you are there thick and thin was the strength that push us through. You are the pilot, we are the passenger in the plane, even during the turbulent you refused to give up rather you encouraged us to hold on, thank you so much for the safe landing. I appreciate your determination, your support and love. Where there is injustice there is a threat to justice’ (Barnet Outreach worker and UNISON member)
‘I feel there is now a better sense of job security amongst staff following the strategy our reps used and the discussion we had today. This has given us back the dignity we deserve. Keep up the good work!’ (Barnet Outreach worker and UNISON member).
End.
Note to Editors: Contact details: Barnet UNISON on or 020 8359 2088 or email: Helen.Davies@barnetunison.org.uk
Background:
Out of Touch Barnet for Outreach Barnet Workers!
https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2022/07/13/out-of-touch-barnet-for-outreach-barnet-workers/
Barnet Outreach workers 88% turnout and a100% vote for strike action.
Barnet Security Guards not being paid correctly: Now resolved.
