Category: Pensions

They Were Heroes During Covid. Now They Are Fighting for Fair Pay. We Must Stand With Them.

Anti - Racism, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Cost of Living Crisis, COVID 19, Housing, Insourcing, Local, News, Pensions, Solidarity, TBG Flex, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign, Your Choice Barnet

They Were Heroes During Covid. Now They Are Fighting for Fair Pay. We Must Stand With Them.

 Branch Secretary Blog — John Burgess, Barnet UNISON

On Tuesday 13 October, Barnet UNISON announced that our members working for The Barnet Group had voted overwhelmingly for strike action.

 88% voted YES on a 55% turnout.

That is a powerful result, and I want to explain why this dispute matters to every Barnet UNISON member, not just those working for The Barnet Group.

 Who are The Barnet Group workers?

The Barnet Group (TBG) is a company wholly owned by Barnet Council. It includes Barnet Homes, which provides housing services, and Your Choice Barnet, which provides social care and support services.

These are not optional services. Housing and social care are essential public services which councils have statutory responsibilities to provide or arrange.

Our members include care and support workers looking after vulnerable adults, and housing workers helping residents with their homes, repairs and housing needs.

They are public service workers. They work for organisations owned by Barnet Council. But they are not treated the same as Barnet Council employees.

Many members reading this may be surprised to learn that TBG workers do not automatically receive the same pay, annual leave, sick pay, overtime rates or other terms and conditions as Council staff.

They also do not have the same access to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).

How can that be right?

Remember when care workers were called heroes?

I want members to think back to Covid.

When much of the country was told to stay at home, our care workers continued going to work.

They supported vulnerable residents who depended on them. They worried about catching Covid, about passing it on to the people they cared for, and about bringing it home to their own families.

They went to work because people needed them.

Remember the weekly applause? Remember people standing outside their homes banging saucepans to show their appreciation for NHS and care workers?

They were called heroes then. So why are they still fighting for fair pay, decent conditions and pension rights now?

You cannot pay the rent with applause. You cannot pay your energy bills with praise.

And you certainly cannot build a decent retirement on warm words.

One Council. Two Workforces. That Must End.

Barnet UNISON has been campaigning for years against outsourcing and the creation of a two-tier workforce.

Barnet Homes and Your Choice Barnet were once Council services. Moving them outside direct Council employment has left workers doing essential public service jobs without the same contractual protections and benefits as their Council colleagues.

Our members are demanding better pay and conditions, including improved annual leave, sick pay, working hours, overtime rates, a fair pay structure and access to the LGPS.

The Barnet Group has rejected the claim.

Our members have responded by voting for strike action.

Nobody takes a decision to strike lightly, especially workers who care for vulnerable people and support residents.

But when employers refuse to negotiate seriously, what choice are workers left with?

This is why Barnet UNISON is calling on The Barnet Group and Barnet Council to sit down with us and negotiate a fair settlement.

My Message to Every Barnet UNISON Member

I have spent 31 years representing workers in Barnet, including 23 years as Branch Secretary.

I have seen what outsourcing does to workers. I have seen the divisions it creates, the inequalities it produces and the damage it can do to morale.

I have also seen what happens when workers stand together.

Our TBG members have shown courage. They have voted to challenge their employer because they believe they deserve better.

Now I am asking every Barnet UNISON member reading this blog to do something simple.

Take a few minutes to send a message of solidarity to our housing and care workers.

It doesn’t have to be long. Just a few words to let them know they are not alone.

You might work in a school, a library, a depot, an office or another Council service. You might never have met a TBG worker.

That doesn’t matter.

We are all UNISON members, and when one group of workers is fighting for fair treatment, they deserve the support of the rest of us.

Please email your message of support to contactus@barnetunison.org.uk.

I will make sure our TBG members get to read your messages.

I want them to know that thousands of fellow UNISON members across Barnet recognise their fight and stand alongside them.

 They were there for our community during Covid.

 Now it’s our turn to be there for them.

Solidarity.

John Burgess
Branch Secretary
Barnet UNISON

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Barnet Group workers vote for strike action over poverty pay

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Barnet Group workers vote for strike action over poverty pay

13 October 2026

Care workers and housing workers at The Barnet Group have voted for strike action, with 88% voting yes on a 55% turnout, well above the 50% the law requires.

The workers are employed at Barnet Homes and Your Choice Barnet, both owned by Barnet Council. They provide housing and care services to Barnet residents. These services were once run in house by the council. They are now delivered by workers on inferior contracts, often alongside council staff doing similar jobs.

The ballot seeks to end that two tier workforce.

UNISON is asking for:

  • a 36-hour week, down from 37.5 (40 for repairs staff)
  • 31 days annual leave
  • council overtime and night rates
  • council sick pay
  • talks on a single, transparent pay structure
  • access to the Local Government Pension Scheme
  • annual NJC pay awards written into contracts
  • the new London Living Wage paid when announced in October, not the following April
  • a joint review adopting council policies wherever they are better

The Barnet Group has refused every part of the claim and has been unwilling to enter proper negotiations. Staff are angry and morale is low. With food, energy and rent costs still rising, many say they are struggling to get by on what they earn.

At Labour conference on 29 September, Prime Minister Andy Burnham spoke of care workers “caring for other people’s parents on poverty pay”. He said he wants “care that is about people not profit”. Care workers employed by a council owned company are on exactly that poverty pay.

Care worker, Your Choice Barnet: “I look after people who can’t look after themselves, then worry about my own gas bill. Council staff doing the same job get better sick pay and a pension. We just want the same.”

Housing worker, Barnet Homes: “We help residents who are struggling, and many of us are struggling too. People voted because they’ve had enough of being treated as second class.”

Helen Davies, Branch Chair, Barnet UNISON: “This is a clear result, and our members are confident. Nobody wants to strike, but The Barnet Group and Barnet Council have left us no choice. We are asking them to sit down and negotiate properly, starting now.”

Strike dates will be announced unless meaningful talks begin.

End.

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — 17 JULY 2026 BARNET HOUSING AND CARE WORKERS MOVE TOWARDS STRIKE BALLOTS

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — 17 JULY 2026

BARNET HOUSING AND CARE WORKERS MOVE TOWARDS STRIKE BALLOTS

Barnet Homes and Your Choice Barnet workers say “Enough is Enough” after TBG refuses to negotiate on pay, terms and pensions.

Barnet UNISON is preparing to request two separate formal industrial action ballots for members working in Barnet Homes and Your Choice Barnet, following a Special JNCC meeting with The Barnet Group today.

UNISON reported the results of two separate consultative ballots:

  • 97% of Your Choice Barnet members voted for industrial action
  • 100% of Barnet Homes members voted for industrial action

Despite these results, The Barnet Group confirmed at the meeting that it was not willing to negotiate on any part of UNISON’s claims.

The claims cover:

  • a proper pay increase, including a £15-an-hour minimum
  • improved terms and conditions
  • movement towards council-standard terms
  • access to the Local Government Pension Scheme

Barnet UNISON formally registered a failure to agree at the Special JNCC and advised TBG that the branch will now seek approval for separate statutory industrial action ballots for housing workers and care workers.

A Barnet Homes worker said:

“We deliver council housing services, but we are not treated like council workers. We work longer hours, receive worse terms and have no access to LGPS. Members have had enough of being told there is never any money for us.”

A Your Choice Barnet care worker said:

“We support vulnerable adults every day, often under huge physical and emotional pressure. Then we go home worrying about rent, food and bills. We are doing essential work in one of the most expensive cities in the world, but we are still treated as second-class.”

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

“These ballot results send a powerful message. Housing and care workers are angry, organised and no longer prepared to accept second-class treatment. TBG has rejected every part of the claim and has now refused to negotiate, even after hearing that members are ready to take action. Enough is enough. Barnet Council owns The Barnet Group and cannot stand back while the workers delivering its services are treated this way.”

Barnet UNISON is calling on The Barnet Group and the London Borough of Barnet to return to negotiations with a serious proposal before the dispute escalates further.

Notes to editors

  • The Barnet Group is wholly owned by the London Borough of Barnet.
  • Barnet Homes provides housing services.
  • Your Choice Barnet provides adult social care services.
  • The consultative ballots were separate from the formal statutory industrial action ballots now being prepared.
  • Industrial action has not yet been authorised or called.

Media enquiries: contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

BARNET HOMES & YCB BALLOTS OPEN: TBG WORKERS VOTE ON NEXT STEPS IN PAY AND PENSION FIGHT

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Housing and care workers employed by Barnet Council-owned TBG say “we can’t keep absorbing the cost of living crisis”

Barnet UNISON has opened two separate consultative ballots for members employed by The Barnet Group (TBG) — the council-owned company that delivers key services on behalf of the London Borough of Barnet.

The ballots cover:

  • Barnet Homes (Housing Services) workers, and
  • Your Choice Barnet (Adult Social Care) care and support workers.

The ballots follow TBG’s rejection of UNISON’s claims on pay, terms and conditions, and access to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). UNISON says the vote is needed to show management — and the council as owner and commissioner — that workers expect a serious response to the cost of living crisis.

A Barnet Homes housing worker said :

“People think housing is just admin. It isn’t. You’re dealing with residents in crisis, rising workload and constant pressure. Then you go home and you’re doing the same sums everyone else is doing — rent, bills, travel, food — and it doesn’t add up. The stress doesn’t switch off. It affects your head, your sleep, your family.”

A Your Choice Barnet care worker said :

“We support vulnerable adults every day. It’s physical work and it takes a toll mentally as well. But the hardest part is knowing you’re working flat out and still worrying about money — choosing between basics, falling behind, borrowing, trying to hold it together for your kids. This isn’t sustainable.”

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

“These workers keep essential housing and care services running in one of the most expensive cities in the world. They are not asking for the moon — they are asking for fairness: decent pay, decent terms and access to LGPS. TBG is owned by Barnet Council, and Barnet Council cannot wash its hands of what happens to the workforce delivering its services. The ballots are open because members’ voices must be heard — and because the current situation is pushing too many working families towards hardship.”

Call to action:
Barnet UNISON is urging all eligible members in Barnet Homes and Your Choice Barnet to take part and return their ballot papers.

For media enquiries: contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

TBG rejects UNISON cost-of-living claims for housing and care workers

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Employer admits financial pressure — but refuses pay, terms and LGPS improvements for Barnet Homes and Your Choice Barnet staff.

Barnet UNISON has received The Barnet Group’s formal response to our pay, terms and pension claims for workers in Barnet Homes (housing services) and Your Choice Barnet (adult social care). The headline is clear: TBG has rejected the claims.

These are frontline workers keeping essential services running in one of the most expensive cities in the world — supporting vulnerable adults, dealing with housing pressures, and carrying rising workloads. UNISON submitted the claims because members are being squeezed hard by the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and years of pay falling behind real living costs.

Key points from TBG’s response

  • TBG says Your Choice Barnet is forecasting a £824k loss this year and will have negative retained earnings rising to £2.048m.
  • TBG says Barnet Homes’ management fee will be cut by £2.763m (6%) from April 2026, and argues this limits what it can agree.
  • TBG has costed the key parts of the union claim and still concludes it is “not able to agree”.
  • Their own figures show a £15/hour minimum for Barnet Homes would cost £14,150 and affect 27 staff — yet they still refuse the claim overall.

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

“Our members are not numbers on a spreadsheet. They are the housing workers and care staff holding services together every day. TBG’s response is basically ‘we can’t’ — while staff are being asked to cope with rising prices and worsening pressure at work. That’s not good enough. If these services matter, the workforce has to be treated with basic fairness: decent pay, decent terms, and a proper pension.”

What happens next

Barnet UNISON will now consult members on the employer’s response and the next steps in our campaign.

Read TBG full response here: https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026.03.24-TBG-response-to-Barnet-UNISON-Cost-of-Living-Crisis-claims.pdf

 

End.

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.

 

 

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

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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.

 

UNISON comment on Barnet Council Pension Fund Agenda Item 17

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On Wednesday 2 April 2025 at Barnet Council Pension Fund Agenda item 17 “Rectification of situation pertaining to prepayments and subsequent repayments between the Council and the Pension Fund”

Source: https://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/b41611/Supplemetary%20Agenda%2002nd-Apr-2025%2019.00%20Pension%20Fund%20Committee.pdf?T=9

Below are UNISON comments on the issues contained within the above report:

1. Unlawful Prepayment:

A prepayment of £20,477,000 made in 2020 may have been unlawful. While legal in principle, there’s no documentation showing it was authorised under the Council’s scheme of delegation or approved by any council committee or the Pension Fund Committee. This indicates a serious lack of internal control and proper authorisation.

2. Additional Payments and Repayments:

There were issues with additional payments and repayments between the Council and the Pension Fund, described as “unlawful payments into and out of the Barnet Pension Fund”.

The report discusses options for rectifying this, indicating that the initial actions were incorrect.

3. Lack of Documentation:

The inability to find documentation for the prepayment raises concerns about record-keeping and financial oversight

4. Risk of Tax Implications:

There’s a potential risk of tax liabilities arising from the various rectification options. The council is seeking clarification from HMRC, but the advice received indicates they are proceeding at their own risk.

5. Governance Concerns: The report highlights concerns about governance and the need to clarify the separation between the Pension Fund and the council as an employer.

In summary, the report reveals significant financial mismanagement issues, including potentially unlawful payments, inadequate documentation, and tax risks.

You can listen to the discussion at the start of the meeting here https://aisapps.mediasite.com/AuditelScheduler/Player/Index/?id=9441bcf4-2e3b-41f0-9fe0-7546f554ceaa&presID=588094cfbe6449019e339905e96970fa1d

The next Pension Fund Committee is 16 June 2025


			

		

		
		


	
		
	

		
		
“Withdraw the compulsory redundancies”: £7,804,000
		
		
 
	
		Anti - Racism, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Disability, Health and Safety, Housing, Local, News, Pensions, Recruitment, Repairs, Report, Schools, Solidarity, TBG Flex, UNISON Campaign, Your Choice Barnet	



	
		

			
		
					

			


Before our members read this article. It is important to note that there is no detriment to the best of our knowledge to the Pension Scheme because of the unlawful actions identified in the report going to Full Council on Tuesday 28 January 2025. This is confirmed in paragraph 10.2 of the report.


“It should also be emphasised that as the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) is a defined benefit scheme there is no impact as a result of these transactions on members’ benefits.”


 


What has happened?


UNISON has only recently discovered that something unlawful has taken place involving payments to the Council’s Pension Scheme.


The matter was first publicly discussed Pension Fund Committee – Tuesday 14th January 2025 7.00 pm. 


You can listen to the discussion by clicking on the link below. You need to scroll 1 hour and 6 minutes to hear the discussion about the unlawful payments.


https://aisapps.mediasite.com/AuditelScheduler/Player/Index/?id=a1c6cfd1-5311-44ae-94fa-6aff99b35ae6&presID=11f4679ca075408d948fb7b34a51a1811d


 


The next piece of critical information came to our attention when the reports were published for the Full Council on Tuesday 28 January 2025. 


One damning paragraph stands out:


“5.2.1 After taking advice, and based on the information available the Monitoring Officer and the Section151 Officer are of the view that the Additional Payments and the Repayments were unlawful.” 


Source: Report to all Elected members of London Borough of Barnet Under Section 5(2)(a) of the local Government and Housing Act 1989 and Section 114 (2)(a) Local Government Finance Act 1988 By Jessica Farmer Monitoring Officer and Kevin Bartle Chief Finance Officer (Section 151 Officer).


https://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s87758/Appendix%20A%20joint%20report%20S5S114.pdf


The report uses the term unlawful ten times unlawfully once and unlawfulness once.


It is a shocking report.


UNISON recommends that members read the above report that is being discussed at Council meeting.


The two paragraphs set out what happened:


“4.2 The Council (acting as a scheme employer) made a one-off prepayment of £20,477,000 to the Fund in April 2020 (“the Prepayment”) instead of secondary contributions for the years 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23. This was because the Council was advised that a Prepayment would save the Council money compared  with making secondary contributions over three years. The Council received leading counsel’s advice, which was taken without reference to the Monitoring Officer, that making the Prepayment was lawful in principle.”


“4.4 After the Prepayment, the Council continued to make periodic payments of (in effect) secondary contributions for the three financial years 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23 (“Additional Payments”). These were made contrary to the Rates and adjustments Certificate. In effect, the Additional Payments would duplicate the Prepayment, and so officers also arranged that the Fund would repay most of the Additional Payment back to the Council in three annual repayments (“Repayments”). Because of a lack of documentation and staff turnover, the Monitoring Officer and Section 151 Officer have not been able to understand clearly when or why the Additional Payments and Repayments were arranged. As far as the Monitoring Officer and current Section 151 Officer can tell, the most likely explanation is that, at the time, officers believed that the outcome of these fund flows would be advantageous for the Council in accounting terms, while not being disadvantageous to the Fund. In any event, the Additional Payments were made and two of the three planned Repayments have also been made: £6,508,000 in October 2020 and £7,574,000 in October 2021.”


For those of us who are not financial experts the two paragraphs explain that not only was an unlawful payment of £20,477,000 made into the Pension Fund but that a further three payments were made of the next three years which resulted in effect in a double payment into the Pension Fund. Towards the end of the final paragraph the Council explains that the Council clawed back two payments back but that once the unlawful payments had been discovered everything was put on hold.


Many of our members reading this report will know that they all are expected to follow Council procedures and understand what happens if you don’t follow. Many of our members will be wondering about who has the powers to authorise spend. The responsibilities for senior managers are set out in what is referred to as the Scheme of Delegation which you can read on the Council website here https://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s24780/Appendix%20D%20-%20Scheme%20of%20Delegated%20Authority%20to%20Officers.pdf


There are a number of questions UNISON has about how this could happen, but our immediate concern is in regard to the numerous redundancy consultations taking place.


£7.8million is a lot of money that is owed to the Council.


At this moment in time the Council is coming to a close on a number of redundancy consultations which, if confirmed, are going to mean staff will be made redundant. Vacancies will be deleted in teams where there is already increasing pressure on the workforce to deliver more with less resources and to work in a job where their pay has failed to keep up with the cost-of-living crisis.


It is UNISON’s understanding, and we would be happy to publicly correct it if we have misunderstood the report above, that Barnet Council is attempting to find a way to retrieve £7,804,000 back from the Council’s Pension Fund.


£7,804,000 is a lot of money and it is UNISON’s view that if this money were back in the Council’s bank account, then it could be used to mitigate some of the redundancies/cuts to public services which are about to be signed off by Barnet Council.


In the meantime, we have several questions.


    

  1. Was there a scheme of delegation for the Pension Fund?
    2. 

  2. If not, why not?
    3. 

  3. Who made the decision to make the prepayment?
    4. 

  4. Who decided to make the decision to subsequently carry on with payments that the prepayment was intended to cover?
    5. 

  5. Who can authorise a payment of up to £20million
    6. 

  6. What was the cost of the initial legal advice in 2020?
    7. 

  7. Who has authority to seek counsel’s opinion
    8. 

  8. Who did seek counsel’s opinion in this case?
    9. 

  9. Was counsel’s opinion seen by the monitoring officer?
    10. 

  10. If yes what was their opinion, if not why not?
    11. 

  11. Was the scheme was initiated by the council acting as the fund or as the employer i.e. did the pension fund ask them to do it?
    12. 

  12. What has been the total cost of legal advice and tax advice taken so far?
    13. 

  13. Has anyone been subject to a disciplinary investigation?
    14. 



 


Recommendations: 


As a result of the breaking news UNISON is demanding the following:


    

  1. The redundancies are withdrawn in anticipation that the monies owed can mitigate the need to make the redundancies in this year.
    2. 



 


 

			

		

		
		


	

			  

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