Category: Solidarity

BREAKING NEWS: Insourcing here at Barnet Council!

Local, News, Report, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

Last night I attended a Council meeting which was discussing whether to bring back the privatised Parking Service. The inevitable vote was to keep the service in the hands of the private sector despite a valiant attempt by the Barnet Labour councillors for a full business case including an in house option.

Imagine my surprise then delight to hear that another outsourced service is to return to Barnet.

I refer to the Barnet’s Registration and Nationality Service which was outsourced to the London Borough of Brent.

On Monday 11 December 2017 Brent Council Cabinet Committee meeting agreed to end the agreement with Barnet Council which will lead to service being brought back into direct control of the Council.

I know at the time many were incredulous at the decision to outsource this service in 2014, but at the time there seemed to be a race to outsource everything.

Barnet UNISON is pleased with this decision and will be involved in the staff transfer at some time in the not too distant future.

This decision follows another staff transfer of social workers from The Barnet Group back into the Council in December 2017. Earlier this week we heard news of another group of staff transferring from NHS into Family Services.

Barnet UNISON will continue to campaign for all of our members in-house and outsourced.

Barnet Parking Service in-house option rejected in consultant’s report.

Austerity, Local, News, Report, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

“It is a well-accepted industry fact that without careful management, the CEO workforce in any Borough, whether in-house or outsourced, will not always be as productive as desired with a corresponding impact on the issuing of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs).” Oaklawn Consulting Limited report to Barnet Council, Environment Committee, 11 January, 2018). http://bit.ly/2mi1Z3R

This is the outrageous statement made by the latest in a long line of outsourcing consultancy companies that have earned literally millions of Barnet tax-payers’ money over the last decade as a result of the Council’s ideological obsession with outsourcing services.

Barnet UNISON campaigned vociferously to oppose the outsourcing of the Parking Service. We argued that a well-run in-house service was more than able to deliver a quality service and it had done previously until the agenda changed and outsourcing became the only game in town. Good operational managers were not appreciated and the Council became reliant on interim consultants who presided over the demise of in- house services.

The Parking Service, once a well-run service, suffered as a result of a series of poor managers and became a soft target for the outsourcing ideologues in Barnet.

However, the Parking Service in its final year, still believed that it could turn itself around and I was informed back then that they managed almost 165k PCNs (Penalty Charge Notices) which is quite incredible considering the last three months of that period morale was at rock bottom after they learnt the hard work was for nothing.

This completely demolishes the comment made by the consultant and it is an insult to local authority managers who demonstrated they knew how to run Parking Services.

Barnet UNISON has had to trawl through hundreds of pro-outsourcing reports over the last decade all trotting out the same mantra. We had hoped that the obsession with outsourcing was wavering but this report demonstrates that is not the case.

NSL took over the Parking Service in May 2012, yet there has been no evidence provided that they have been able to secure the same level of PCNs in the last five years.

Waste of money

In light of the cuts to funding it seems incomprehensible that the Council should commission a report on the merits of an in-house bid when senior officers have already begun the procurement process.

What was the purpose of the consultant’s report?

If the report was commissioned for genuine reasons then surely that means the procurement could have been undermined if it recommended a return of the Parking service in-house?

If that is the case then why begin procurement?

Why waste money on procurement?

If you want to know what is going to be discussed you can view the reports on Parking Service here

http://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s44235/Parking%20Enforcement%20Contract%20Re-commissioning.pdf

#BringParkingBackInHouse

 

Press release: Barnet UNISON say no to instruction to send out understaffed crews for Bin workers.

Local, News, Solidarity, Trades Dispute

On Wednesday 10 January 2018, Barnet UNISON was at a routine set of meetings at the depot when we were informed by management that the Council will not cover staff absence with an agency worker. This means that crews will be instructed to go out on their waste refuse rounds with a person down.

The street cleansing service workforce (staffed by workers who for example sweep the streets) has already been but by 19% after a recent Barnet Council decision. Now some of the waste and recycling crews have been questioning if the decision to send them out understaffed is part of anticipated cutbacks. To add to our concerns for the health and wellbeing of our workforce we can confirm there have been no risk assessments produced as a result of this management instruction which in our view places an unacceptable health and safety risk to all of our members.

Our members will know from listening to the news that the RMT union has been conducting a number of strikes across the country in relation to safety. For Barnet UNISON workers safety is no less an issue. They also know that the Birmingham Bin workers took strike action over attacks to staffing levels.

John Burgess Branch Secretary Barnet UNISON: “I want to make it clear to all our members that their health and safety is paramount to Barnet UNISON and that we do not agree with this management instruction. This proposal lies at the door of austerity politics and a view that you can simply keep on cutting with no thought to the safety of the staff having to deliver a service. Our members may not be doctors or nurses or teachers but without them our streets would quickly become toxic and unsafe. I urge senior management to rescind this instruction, allow our members to continue to deliver this vital frontline service unhindered by any further threats to their safety and remind Barnet Council our members “are not the rubbish they collect.”

End.

Notes to Editors.

Contact details: John Burgess Barnet UNISON on or 020 8359 2088 or email: john.burgess@barnetunison.org.uk

 

Staring into the face of Armageddon

Austerity, Local, News, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

On 16 December 2014 Barnet Council voted for the second wave of mass outsourcing which if implemented would result on the Council workforce reduce to less than 300 staff.

At the same time Northampton County Council announced that they would do the same.

Our branch had by this time been fighting Barnet Councils mass outsourcing ideology for over six years.

Our branch was exhausted, our reps who fought in the first wave of outsourcing simply had enough.

Our branch took a decision that we would try to rally our members build more reps and give it a go.

What was there to lose?

2015 was a critical moment in our history.

The Council came for the trade union facility time, they wanted to reduce it to zero.

Then the outsourcing projects began to gather pace.

We made a simple decision to organise and fightback.

Barnet Unison Picket lines in July 2015.

Two things happened that happened that shaped our future.

Jeremy Corbyn turned up at our picket line outside NLBP, after this Jeremy never looked back and later became the Leader of the Labour Party.

Lastly, Mill Hill depot workers joined UNISON en masse.

It was a proud moment watching workers refuse to cross our picket line and sign up to join UNISON.

The rest as they say is history, more strikes, protests followed.

In May 2017, Street Scene the last service at risk of outsourcing was kept in-house.

Back in December 2014 we were facing an impossible fight, but after much hard work our members and services are still in-house.

As Bob Crow used to say

“If you fight you won’t always win. But if you don’t fight you will always lose.”

2018 promises to be another test for our members and our union, whatever happens I know we have the team, the members to take on whatever is coming our way.

Solidarity greeting to all of our Barnet UNISON members and a Happy New Year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Barnet UNISON issues warning to members about the Pension Service provided by Capita.

Austerity, Local, News, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

Barnet UNISON Press Release: Friday 1 December 2017

“The final straw for me was when I was sent copies of letters issued on London Borough of Hounslow letterheads with London Borough of Hounslow email contact details to our members by Capita Pension Service in response to their own Barnet Pensions queries. Barnet UNISON has been monitoring an ongoing catalogue of serious errors made by the Capita Pensions Service operating out of Darlington. Not only am I unhappy with Capita, but also with the Council, which agreed this outsourcing model. This fragmented model, where you have two pay roll departments running out of Belfast and Carlisle and Pensions running out of Darlington was agreed by senior Barnet Council Officers in 2012. They have long gone and left us with a service in which we have no confidence. Our Pension, is our members’ single biggest financial saving for their future. It is also their deferred earnings. The Pension service our members’ are having to endure is unacceptable. My concern is that there is an “Emperor’s New Clothes” culture in our Council. No criticism is tolerated, well Barnet UNISON will not stay silent the service needs to be brought back in-house.”  John Burgess Barnet UNISON Branch Secretary 

 

We advise all Barnet UNISON members who are in the

Local Government Pensions Scheme

to read this Press release and take up our offer below.

 

1.  Please find a brief explanation of the serious issues we have found over the past two years

  • 2015 Annual Benefit Statements not sent to all by statutory deadline
  • 2016 Annual Benefit Statements not sent to all by statutory deadline
  • 2015 Annual Benefit Statements not all correct – CARE benefit incorrectly based on taxable pay rather than pensionable pay
  • 2016 Annual Benefit Statements not all correct – CARE benefit incorrectly based on taxable pay rather than pensionable pay
  • 2017 Annual Benefit Statements not all accurate – missing previous LGPS membership, more than one statement, CARE benefit based on part pensionable pay
  • Barnet Pension communicated on another local authority’s letterhead showing two different e-mail addresses for communication with them
  • Insufficient details provided for pension calculations to check accuracy

2. What HAS Barnet UNISON done so far?

  • Raised issues at meetings with Chief Executive in December 2016, January 2017 and September 2017
  • Asked LBB to inform breaches to the Pensions Regulator
  • Issues raised at Local Pension Board meetings
  • Issues raised at regular monthly meetings with Council officers and Capita Pensions staff.

3. What YOU can do

End.

Notes to Editors.

Contact details: John Burgess Barnet UNISON on or 020 8359 2088 or email: john.burgess@barnetunison.org.uk

Background:

Below are a few links of the post transfer consultations with Capita which resulted in wholesale cuts to the local workforce.

1. The Pensions Regulator fines Barnet Council for failing to submit pension documentation

https://www.employeebenefits.co.uk/issues/july-online-2017/pensions-regulator-fines-barnet-council-failing-submit-pension-documentation/

2. Capita consultation on proposed sacking of Barnet Council Pension workforce as jobs move to Darlington (2013).

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/Pensions%20consultation%20document%20final%20v1%20071013.pdf

3. Barnet UNISON Press Release: “From hard working families to ‘scroungers’ – Capita redundancies

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2013/10/06/barnet-unison-press-release-from-hard-working-families-to-scroungers-capita-redundancies/

4. THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES

“But he hasn’t got anything on,” a little child said.

“Did you ever hear such innocent prattle?” said its father. And one person whispered to another what the child had said, “He hasn’t anything on. A child says he hasn’t anything on.”

“But he hasn’t got anything on!” the whole town cried out at last.

http://www.andersen.sdu.dk/vaerk/hersholt/TheEmperorsNewClothes_e.html

 

URGENT: More School grading ballots: VOTE YES

Austerity, Local, News, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

Barnet UNISON has just been informed that Barnet Council has sent another batch of grading ballot letters  to all community schools.

The next roles going forward for a Grading Appeal are as follows:

  • Teaching  Assistant  3 Mainstream
  • Teaching Assistant  3 Special
  • Teaching Assistant  4
  • Teaching Assistant 4 Special
  • Learning Mentor
  • Breakfast /After school Club  level 3

We need everyone to vote YES in order that Barnet UNISON can submit the Appeal.

If you have not had your ballot letter, please contact Barnet Council by email at unified.reward@barnet.gov.uk or post to The Unified Reward Team, London Borough of Barnet, North London Business Park, Oakleigh Road South, London, N11 1NP.

Closing date Friday 15 December 2017. 

 

John McDonnell sends message of hope and solidarity

Austerity, Housing, Libraries, Local, News, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

BREAKING NEWS: Shadow Chancellor sends message of hope and solidarity to Barnet UNISON and grassroots Labour Party members.

“I fully support the Barnet UNISON policy statement For A Better, Fairer, Democratically Accountable Barnet. The branch has mounted an inspirational decade long battle with a right wing ideological driven Tory Council determined to outsource all of its services. I send solidarity message to the branch and to Barnet Labour members who together will deliver a Labour Council to implement this policy statement. ” John McDonnell Shadow Chancellor

“I’m absolutely delighted that in his busy schedule John McDonnell has the time to send a message of Hope & Solidarity to Barnet UNISON members and grassroots Labour Party members who against the odds have delivered three marginal seats in Barnet. Our policy statement is a signal of intent to begin to address the damage done to our public services and the staff made redundant. Outsourcing has delivered in Barnet, but not in the way it was spun by consultants who grew rich on the millions paid by Barnet residents in the name of austerity. Hope for the many is within our grasp, austerity lite policies are not welcome here.”
John Burgess, Barnet UNISON Branch Secretary

For A Better, Fairer, Democratically Accountable Barnet.

For A Better, Fairer, Democratically Accountable Barnet.

1. AGENCY STAFF/CONSULTANTS
End the Council’s over reliance on agency staff and consultants, replacing these with Council employees.
Review Unified Reward and consider returning to GLPC.
CARE

Adopt UNISON ethical care charter.
(https://www.unison.org.uk/content/uploads/2013/11/On-line-Catalogue220142.pdf)

2. COLINDALE MOVE

Address and alleviate the problems caused by the forthcoming relocation of Barnet Council and Partner organisation staff to the new Colindale Office building.

3. HEALTH & SAFETY

Bring all the Council’s Health & Safety responsibilities back in to in-house control and monitoring.
Review Health & Safety arrangements in the Borough.

4. HOUSING

TBG Flex employees to be employed on Local Government T&C’s, Pay with access to Local Government Pension Scheme.
The Barnet Group to be brought back in-house.
End short term 2 & 5 year tenancies and reintroduce secure life time tenancies for all tenants.
End or limit Right to Buy and the subletting of Right to Buy properties
Increase Council home building.
Widen the availability of social housing within the Borough.
Resource the monitoring of housing where necessary to ensure it is fit for habitation.

5. LIBRARIES

Restore the pre-April 2017 level of staffed opening hours, with sufficient Library workers (in numbers, qualifications and experience) and resources.
Review the use of lost Library space with a view to returning to Library use.
Bring the Partnership Libraries back in-house.
Work with all stakeholders in the Library Service to produce a strategy that will maintain and improve the quality and accessibility of Barnet Libraries.

6. OUTSOURCING

No more Council services to be outsourced.
Work towards bringing services already outsourced back in-house including NSL.
Review Capita and other contracts with the aim of bring services back in-house.
Ensure that while outsourcing contracts are running they are properly overseen and these services are provided to the contracted level without incurring further cost to the Council.

7. PAY

Support the Trade Union (UNISON, GMB, Unite) NJC PAY CLAIM 2018 – 2019
Ensure that Council, partner organisation and contractor employees are paid at least the London Living Wage.
End Performance Related Pay.

8. SCHOOLS

52 week contracts for TAs and other support workers.
Oppose the establishment of academies.

9. STREET SCENE

Instigate a search within the Borough for a site (or sites?) for a depot (depots?) suitable for all Street Scene’s long-term needs?
Commit to the retention of Street Scene services in-house.
No more Council services to be outsourced.
Work towards bringing services already outsourced back in-house including NSL.
Review Capita and other contracts with the aim of bring services back in-house.
Ensure that while outsourcing contracts are running they are properly overseen and these services are provided to the contracted level without incurring further cost to the Council.

End.

Capita Re: What is EG Works Manager?

Austerity, Local, News, Report, Solidarity

Dear Barnet UNISON Capita Re members

We have had a growing number of worrying reports about EG Works Manager.

We understand it is a new programme designed to monitor everything that you do.

It sounds very much like what was known back in the mists of time as a “Time and Motion” survey.

A ‘Time and Motion’ survey woul

 

d involve an employees following a worker around the workplace all day, recording everything, and I mean everything, including when they went to the toilet.

Barnet Unison understand that staff are going on training in order they are able to use it as early as December 2017.

A question for Barnet UNISON members working for Re

“What do you think about EG Works Manager?”

…………………………………………………………………..

If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the Barnet UNISON office in confidence.

Teaching Assistants (TA) – Call to action by Barnet UNISON

Local, News, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

Barnet UNISON has just sent out letters to every TA working in a community school.

The letter explains the Group Appeal process and asks all TAs to complete a short form about the work that they do.

It is critically important that TAs complete the form and send back in the business reply envelope provided.

The other day I was asked by a TA the following question.

What might they gain or lose

1) If they vote for the appeal?

2) If they vote against the appeal?

My response was swift and clear.

If TA’s don’t vote for YES for an appeal they miss out on a 6/7% pay increase.

The Budget yesterday has confirmed there is no chance of a break in the PUBLIC SECTOR PAY FREEZE.

Barnet UNISON has looked at the TA grades and believes there are grounds to Appeal.

We want to give TAs in Barnet a chance to get a pay rise.

Barnet UNISON Nursery Nurses won their Grading Appeal because they responded to our call for action, they provided the critical information that delivered a pay rise for Nursery Nurses.

Here is a quick reminder of what their UNISON reps had to say about their Group Grading Appeal.

“Barnet Nursery Nurses won their appeal! This would not have happened without the support and dedication of John Burgess and Unison. Thank you from us all.”

Beverley (UNISON Nursery Nurse rep).

“Barnet unison remained resolute in their commitment throughout this appeal. Showing the importance of working together to ensure ever member has a voice, this was paramount to secure this momenta’s positive conclusion for Barnet Nursery Nurses.”

Elaine Thompson Unison Nursery Nurse Rep.

“Unison has provided steadfast support to the nursery nurses since as far back as 2009. John Burgess in particular advised and guided the three nursery teams that went through the federation process, resulting in a much better staffing structure than had originally been offered. Throughout every occurrence Unison has kept their members informed and updated so much so that when Unified pay come over the horizon we all had every confidence that our best interests were at the heart of any negotiations they were involved in.  The confidence and determination/ tenacity shown by the Unison team was infectious and made us all the more determined to at least have our say. Knowing John Burgess had championed others and been successful gave us hope and spurred us on to do our homework, galvanise as workers and put our case to the powers that be. Happily we were successful and I’m sure that with Unison on your side any workers have a fighting chance. Good luck comrades!”

Ruth Kevin (UNISON rep)

If you have not had a letter please contact the Barnet UNISON office on 0208 359 2088 or email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

PLEASE RETURN YOUR FORM TO THE BARNET UNISON OFFICE BY

TUESDAY 5 DECEMBER IN THE BUSINESS REPLY ENVELOPE PROVIDED

URGENT: Level 2 Teaching Assistants Pay Ballot. VOTE YES

Local, Report, Solidarity

Barnet Council has issued Pay Ballot letters to all level two Teaching Assistants and the deadline to send back to the council by 24 November 2017.

It is important that every single level 2 Teaching Assistant responds back with a YES vote.

Below are Teaching Assistants who all vote YES for the grading appeal.

What will happen if we win the grading appeal?

The current salary range for a Level 2 Teaching Assistant is:

£19, 917 to £21,884

If the Grading Appeal is successful ALL level 2 Teaching Assistants would move to the new grade which is:

£21, 276 to £23,802

We need everyone to vote YES in order that Barnet UNISON can submit the appeal to the grade.

If you have not had your ballot letter, please contact Barnet Council by email at unified.reward@barnet.gov.uk or post to The Unified Reward Team, London Borough of Barnet, North London Business Park, Oakleigh Road South, London, N11 1NP.

Ballot closes 24 November 2017.

 

 

 

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