Find out more about the Pay campaign by joining Barnet UNISON National Pay meeting Tuesday 23 May 6.30- 7.30 pm.
To REGISTER click on this link below.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/barnet-unison-pay-branch-meeting-tickets-629084487637
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Barnet UNISON National Pay Campaign meeting on Tuesday 23 May 6.30 – 7.30 pm
Click on this link to register for the meeting.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/barnet-unison-pay-branch-meeting-tickets-629084487637
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In 2018 UNISON lodged an employment tribunal claim against Greenwich Council on behalf of all term time paid staff. UNISON managed to negotiate an agreement which generated 5 years’ back dated payments plus a contribution to those in Council Pensions Schemes.
Term Time Pay (TTP) staff are paid using a formula that includes your annual leave entitlement. What UNISON discovered was that TTP staff were being underpaid. To put it simply not enough annual leave was being allocated to the TTP formula.
As a result of the Greenwich case claims began to be raised across the country.
In September 2019, Barnet UNISON lodged 52 TTP claims against 52 Barnet Schools and 3 contractors working for Barnet Council.
Over the last four years we have manged to secure back pay for 80% of our members in schools and contractors and we are hoping to complete the final 20% by the end of this year.
Why has Barnet UNISON written to Barnet Schools?
On 22 March 2023 we wrote to all Barnet Schools which implement the NJC National Pay Awards because part of last year’s claim included a permanent extra day’s annual leave. What this means is that the TTP formula will need to change to reflect the extra day’s annual leave entitlement.
We have asked each school to provide UNISON with the details of the new TTP formula. We need to check the formula is compliant otherwise there could be underpayments claims for our members. We need to be able to advise our members that they are on the correct pay.
In response to your questions if you think it helps this is the answer.
Why it’s going to take such a long time to get the back pay?
Because your school may choose not to respond to UNISON, or they may choose to delay the payment or find a way not to pay. If we can’t negotiate locally, we hand over to our lawyers and it can drag on for years in the courts. Once it is with our lawyers the branch has no control over the process.
What do UNISON members need to provide?
You will need to provide evidence for example payslips to show what you are being paid. You will also have to complete a case form where we will require more details about you.
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Dear Colleague
This is an invitation for you to join thousands of other London council UNISON members at this meeting on Pay!
A groundbreaking event is taking place on Tuesday 21 March 6.30-7.30 pm when UNISON members from other London councils will be signing up for the first ever London Wide UNISON council & school workers meeting.
Barnet UNISON Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86358706964?pwd=aFQyZmFsVXVqL2tNTk02dTlQd2pFZz09
Meeting ID: 863 5870 6964
Passcode: 869860
The Cost-of-Living Crisis is unrelenting, and more and more workers are under pressure to keep up with increases in costs such as Food, Heating, Rent, Mortgages, Child Care, etc.
Council and Schools workers’ pay has fallen so low over the last 13 years that everyone is now working at least ONE day a week for free.
At the same time energy companies are announcing massive levels of profits whilst many of our members are afraid to turn on the heating.
UNISON Council and School workers now have the opportunity to add their voice to the hundreds of thousands of other trade union members who have already taken strike action over the issue of low pay such as: Transport workers, Royal Mail workers, BT workers, Teachers, Junior Doctors, Train drivers, Cleaners, Teachers, College workers, Border Control workers, Civil Servants, Barristers.
All these trade union members managed to deliver a BIG YES vote in their strike ballot.
In London we need to send a message about the hardship of living on low pay in London. To do that we need to organise across London councils in order for our members’ voices to be heard loud and clear in Parliament.
When is the Strike Ballot to start?
The strike ballot papers will start being sent out to members home addresses from 23 May to 4 July.
What can members do?
It is important that all UNISON members’ email Barnet UNISON branch at contactus@barnetunison.org.uk with their correct postal address and contact details including their telephone/ mobile number and email address.
It is critical to the success of the strike ballot that Barnet UNISON has the correct details and has your permission to contact you about the strike ballot.
Phone banking.
We know from other trade unions the importance of speaking to members about voting and sending back the ballot papers. We are looking for help to be on the Barnet UNISON phone bank. If you would like to volunteer, please email us at contactus@barnetunison.org.uk
In the meantime, you can read the latest offer from the employer on our Barnet UNISON web site.
For Council workers click here https://bit.ly/3Jt4fkO
For School workers click here https://bit.ly/3l0HDyC
Solidarity
Barnet UNISON.
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Last year the employer made a lump sum payment in London which equated to £2,229, which still worked out as another pay cut for all members. This is important to note as we are still in the worst Cost of Living Crisis in 75 years and there are no signs of any improvement on the horizon.
This year the Trade Unions submitted a claim for RPI plus 2% which works out at 12.7% across all grades.
The Employer has responded with the same amount as last year which is £2,229 to those workers up to spinal column 42 and 3.8% to those above (which impacts Grades K and L).
This is another Pay Cut for our members. Last year when we consulted Barnet UNISON members over the same offer 89% voted to reject and demand an industrial strike ballot. We had the highest turnout of UNISON votes across UNISON members in other London Councils.
We are now waiting to hear what UNISON National negotiators have to say about the offer.
In the meantime, we want as many of our members to view the employers offer and understand the difference between the Employer’s offer and UNISON’s demand.
The table below provides details of the employers offer including a comparison with the UNISON claim for 12.7%.
To help UNISON members understand the offer and how it compares with UNISON’s demand please find below an explanation of the table above.
Column A = Lists Barnet Council Grades. If you don’t know your grade contact your line manager.
Column B & C = These columns provide the detail of the bottom and top of the current grade.
Column D & E = These columns provide the detail as to how the current grade changes when the employers’ offer is applied.
Column F & G = These columns show in percentages what the employers’ offer means to each grade.
Column H & I = These columns represent the increase to the grade if the UNISON proposal was implemented. As you can see it is higher than the
employers’ offer.
Column J & K = These columns provide the actual financial loss for each grade when the employers’ offer is compared with the Trade Unions’ claim for 12.7%.
Column L & M = These columns provide the actual percentage pay cut for each grade when the employers’ offer is compared with the Trade Unions’ claim for 12.7%.
* This table uses LBB Council’s Term Time pay formula. Not all schools use this formula so you may have to check what formula your school uses to calculate your pay
Any questions please email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk
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Dear Member
Early this week the National Education Union (NEU) announced that they have successfully completed a strike ballot for industrial action.
The NEU have announced the strike dates which will impact on Barnet Schools:
Our branch has already begun to receive communications from our members working in Barnet Schools as to what this means for them.
Today, Thursday 19 January 2023, we have received advice from UNISON National Advice.
Now that we have the advice we have decided to call an emergency Barnet UNISON schools meeting at which we will have speakers from the NEU. We have UNISON speakers ready to take questions on how we are going to support our members on these strike days.
Below is the UNISON advice to our members. We have highlighted in bold and underlined some key parts of the advice.
“UNISON Advice
UNISON respects the rights of other trade unions to take industrial action and supports the other unions’ strike action. We urge members to support legal protests and rallies organised by NEU that take place outside your contracted hours of work.
However, UNISON members in schools and sixth form colleges have not been balloted for strike action or action short of strike action on this occasion and are therefore advised to continue with their normal duties and responsibilities. UNISON members should not take on any additional responsibilities being given to them directly as a result of other unions’ industrial action.
Support staff should not be expected to provide cover for, or take classes, where this would normally be done by teachers who are taking action. Staff should not be moved from the duties they would normally have carried out in order to cover work and frustrate the industrial action of colleagues. This includes any staff employed as either HLTAs or Cover Supervisors. In Cymru/Wales, in workplaces where NEU members who are support staff are taking strike action, UNISON members should not be moved to cover those colleagues’ duties either. Members who are under pressure to provide cover for striking colleagues should contact their UNISON rep, branch or region for further advice and support.
Members are reminded that due to industrial relations legislation only those employees who have been involved in a legal ballot are allowed to take industrial action.
HLTAs and Cover Supervisors
Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTAs) should only do ‘Specified Work’ with the support and/or supervision of a Qualified Teacher. Cover Supervisors supervise students who are working to a lesson prepared by a Qualified Teacher, usually a classroom teacher. If you are in either of these roles you should not be expected to take whole classes on the day of a strike if the teacher that normally supervises, supports or prepares your work is on strike.
DfE Guidance on Industrial Action in Schools (England only)
The DfE have updated and recirculated their guidance on industrial action in schools. The guidance is non-statutory, this means that schools are not obliged to follow the guidance.
Handling strike action in schools – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The advice makes clear that for maintained schools the decision on whether to close a school or not is the responsibility of the headteacher, and for academies it rests with the Trust. However, this decision is usually delegated to the headteacher.
The guidance is aimed at headteachers advising them on ways that they can try and keep their school open. This includes guidance on the recent government legislation allowing agency staff to cover strike action. UNISON is currently challenging the legality of this legislation and it is not accepted by many agencies. If you are aware of any instances of agency staff being brought in to cover striking colleagues, please report this to your regional office.
The guidance also suggests that schools can use some of the emergency measures introduced during the Covid pandemic to keep schools open, including asking staff to provide remote learning. We do not that accept this would fall within the definition of normal work for support staff and they should not be called on to deliver remote learning on strike days.”
If you have any questions or concerns please contact the Barnet UNISON office on email to contactus@barnetunison.org.uk or ring and leave a message on 0208 359 2088.
I look forward to seeing you all at our UNISON schools meeting next week on Thursday 26 January 2023.
Best wishes
John Burgess
Branch Secretary
Barnet UNISON
Barnet UNISON announced that Barnet Council would be making Cost-of-Living payment of £150 to all non-schools’ staff on grades A-E. Unfortunately, at the time the offer was made we were informed that this would not be made to staff in community schools for whom the council is the employer.
Barnet UNISON believed this was unfair as many of these members are low paid. We asked for Barnet Council to financially support Community Schools to enable them to make this much needed payment to their staff.
We can now confirm that we have just heard that Barnet Council have agreed one-off payment to school support staff on Grades A-E.
Please note this applies to all school staff for whom the council is the employer.
List of Barnet Community Schools are below.
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Background
Cost of Living Crisis one off payment to lowest grades except in community schools.
Yesterday Barnet Council has announced in an email to all staff that it will be making a Cost-of-Living payment of £150 to all non-schools’ staff on grades A-E.
Whilst Barnet UNISON welcomes this payment for our lowest paid members, we are concerned that another group of low paid female members working in Barnet Council Community Schools will not be receiving this payment from the Council.
We have been informed that Barnet Council will be writing to all the Community schools to advise them of the payment.
Barnet UNISON has asked for Barnet Council to support Community Schools to enable them to make this much needed payment to their staff.
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