“No stone left unturned” Number 4: What about the senior management review?

On 17 September 2024 Barnet UNISON responded to news of the impending financial crisis by submitting the following proposal:

“One Chief Executive not three: plus, a senior management review.”

UNISON proposes that for starters Barnet Council deletes two chief executive roles as part of the major review of all senior management roles starting from Head of Service, Assistant Directors, Directors, Executive Directors before any decisions are taken about cutting vacancies/redundancies, raising charges and/ or cutting services to residents.”

Source: https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/10/18/barnet-council-the-tale-of-three-chief-executives-and-one-plumber/

To date we have not had a response.


UNISON comment.

Barnet UNISON would like to confirm that we are expecting this review to include the senior management across the two outsourced local authority trading companies known as The Barnet Group (TBG) and Barnet Education and Learning service (BELs). There are several reasons. The first is that Barnet Council defends the existence of these two companies by stating they are simply an extension of the Council and that similar roles exist in other London Councils, in which case the senior management teams (SMT) across these companies must form part of the chief executive’s senior management restructure. Both companies are owned by the London Borough of Barnet.

Before any jobs and services are cut the accountability must start from the top and that includes all three SMTs.

End.

 

“No stone left unturned” Number 3: Does it make sense to have a Barnet Council CEO & CEO The Barnet Group.

For transparency the salary details of the Barnet Council Chief Executive salary are £201,456 to £212,685

(Source: https://www.barnet.gov.uk/sites/default/files/pay_policy_statement_2024_2025.pdf )

Barnet Council has responded positively to our request for oncosts information for posts to enable Barnet UNISON to understand the true cost for all posts in the Council.

In the case of the Barnet CEO if oncosts are applied to the figures above, the total oncosts would be £285,214 to £301,183.

Oncosts include National Insurance contributions along with Pension contributions. All staff working directly working for Barnet Council can join the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) which is a Defined Benefit Scheme.


For transparency the salary details of CEO of The Barnet Group (TBG) are as follows:

“The highest paid director cost £218,643 including £16,132 of contributions to a defined benefit scheme on the same employees (2023: £211,477).”

Source: https://thebarnetgroup.org/download/the-barnet-group-financial-statements-2023-24/

For transparency Barnet UNISON has emailed TBG to seek clarity about the calculations above. There is no mention of oncosts for this role and we assume that National Insurance contributions are being made for this post. Barnet UNISON has also noticed that it refers to contributions to a defined benefit scheme.” Barnet UNISON understands that staff working for TBG are not able to join LGPS (which is a defined benefit scheme) and are instead offered to join a Defined Contribution Scheme which is not comparable to LGPS.


Meanwhile in response to Barnet UNISON’s proposal to save money in our original post:

“UPDATED: Barnet Council the Tale of “Three Chief Executives and one plumber” https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/10/18/barnet-council-the-tale-of-three-chief-executives-and-one-plumber/ that by having one Council, Barnet Council has been quick to point out that the CEO of TBG is paid the same as an Executive Director of Housing in other London Councils.

 

UNISON comment.

Barnet UNISON conducted a short survey of equivalent salaries for Housing in other London Councils.

1. Ealing Council

Strategic Director £139,830 £185,268

https://www.ealing.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/12546/appendix_1_-_organisational_context_and_principles_for_pay_policy.pdf

2. Haringey Council

Director  Place and Housing £165,000 – £170,000

https://new.haringey.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2024-08/Haringey%20staff%20list%20with%20pay%20grades%202024%20.pdf

3. Croydon Council 

Corporate Director Housing £146,020 – £154,731

https://democracy.croydon.gov.uk/documents/s43397/Appendix%201b.pdf

4. Enfield Council 

Strategic Director Housing & Regeneration £130,000 £134,999

https://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/3696/Structure-data-Your-council.pdf

Harrow Council 

Director of Housing Place D2 £113,358 – £127,368

https://www.harrow.gov.uk/downloads/file/32034/Senior_Managers_Pay_____20222023.pdf

As we don’t know how TBG calculate oncosts the above data does suggest that there could be a saving if the Housing Service was run by a senior officer working directly for Barnet Council rather that a CEO.

Barnet UNISON is waiting for the breakdown of how TBG calculates oncosts for their posts. In the meantime, our members are under considerable stress due to the financial crisis facing the Council.

Before any services or jobs are deleted Barnet Council must show full transparency by insisting that TBG comply with Localism Act 2011 – Openness and accountability in local pay

“1.1. Section 38(1) of the Localism Act 2011 requires local authorities to publish an annual pay policy statement.

In the Pay Policy document that is published annually the Council set out the reasons why they publish the salaries of certain Council posts.

You can view the relevant paragraph below and here is the link

https://www.barnet.gov.uk/sites/default/files/pay_policy_statement_2024_2025.pdf

Related Remuneration and Transparency Context

1.5. The Council follows the transparency requirements on remuneration as set out in the Local Government Transparency Code 2015 issued in February 2015 by the then Department for Communities and Local Government; and specific guidance relevant to the Localism Act issued by the Department in February 2012 and February 2013.

1.6. The Code of Recommended Practice for Local Authorities on Data Transparency includes publishing information relating to salaries over £58,200. Similarly, the Local Government Transparency Code 2015 stipulates that salaries over £50,000 should be published. In order to comply with both Codes, the Council publishes a summary of posts that are paid more than £50,000. The summary is available on the website of the Council and is periodically updated.”

Barnet UNISON is waiting to hear back from Barnet Council on this point.

End.

“No stone left unturned” Number 1: Update of Barnet Council Agency Spend.

After a delay by Barnet Council in publishing the figures online, Barnet UNISON is now able to see the latest Agency Spend up to 30 September 2024.

This data represents six months of agency spend.

First the good news.

As our members will know the last time we looked at the agency spend up to 31 August, Barnet Council had spent £11,950,348 million on agency workers. UNISON forecasted that if Barnet Council continued this rate of spend for the rest of the year the Council will have spent £28,680,836 million, which would be a record breaking spend when compared with the last 15 years of agency spend. The good news is that our forecast is down by £1,411,295 million which demonstrates that the brakes have been applied to agency spend.

The bad news is that even with this reduction the Council is still heading for a massive record breaking spend of £27,269,541 million which would be a record breaking spend when compared with the last 15 years of agency spend.


UNISON comment.

We are waiting. UNISON has been waiting for two and half months to be provided with a breakdown of agency worker spend across the Council workforce. 20 years ago UNISON used to be provided by Barnet Council with a breakdown of the staffing establishment including vacant posts and agency workers by directorate. It is concerning that we are approaching a timetable of potential redundancy consultations and UNISON still has no insight as to where there are vacancies and where agency workers are being deployed.

We understand that the report going to Cabinet Committee on Thursday 5 December 2024 will provide some insight as to where there will be possible redundancies. Once statutory redundancy consultation begins Barnet Council has a lawful duty to provide this staffing/agency information to UNISON.

End.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“No stone left unturned” What is The Barnet Group (TBG)? Number 7: Part Three

Ever since we published our article called Three Chief Executives and a Plumber, we have been inundated with questions about The Barnet Group (TBG).

Barnet UNISON published three animations which were put together with the help of our Barnet UNISON reps in TBG

Here is Animation Number Three which we noticed someone was watching it on a bus.


After watching this animation we strongly recommend you reading our article Three Chief Executives and a Plumber, here https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/10/18/barnet-council-the-tale-of-three-chief-executives-and-one-plumber/

End.

 

 

 

 

“No stone left unturned” What is The Barnet Group (TBG)? Number 6: Part Two

Ever since we published our article called Three Chief Executives and a Plumber, we have been inundated with questions about The Barnet Group (TBG).

Barnet UNISON published three animations which were put together with the help of our Barnet UNISON reps in TBG

Here is Animation Number Two which appears to have been screened in London Docklands.


After watching this animation we strongly recommend you reading our article Three Chief Executives and a Plumber, here https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/10/18/barnet-council-the-tale-of-three-chief-executives-and-one-plumber/

End.

“No stone left unturned” What is The Barnet Group (TBG)? Number 5: Part One

Ever since we published our article called Three Chief Executives and a Plumber, we have been inundated with questions about The Barnet Group (TBG).

Barnet UNISON published three animations which were put together with the help of our Barnet UNISON reps in TBG

Here is Animation Number One which appears to have been viewed in the Council Main Office in Colindale.


After watching this animation we strongly recommend you reading our article Three Chief Executives and a Plumber, here https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/10/18/barnet-council-the-tale-of-three-chief-executives-and-one-plumber/

End.

Barnet Council Agency Spend – Update more to follow

Below is the graph showing agency spend since 2010.

Last year Barnet Council spent £20 million.

In September 2024, staff were informed that there was a £20million deficit for this years budget.

At the end of August 2024, Barnet Council had already spent £11,950,348.29 on Agency workers.

In the meantime Barnet UNISON is trequestioing a breakdown of the use of agency/consultants across each directorate. We want to see what vacant posts are being covered by agency workers.

Since then Barnet Council has put in control measures for agency spend.


We are now waiting for the latest update on Barnet Council Agency spend for September………….

 

End.

 

 

Apology: UPDATED: Barnet Council the Tale of “Three Chief Executives and one plumber

Dear Barnet UNISON Members

Following some complaints about some pay inaccuracies in our post entitled:

“UPDATED: Barnet Council the Tale of “Three Chief Executives and one plumber””

UNISON has updated the salary information.

To view updated article, click on link to our website here.

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/10/18/barnet-council-the-tale-of-three-chief-executives-and-one-plumber/

At the same time, we have been informed that we will be given complete set of information about all four posts above including what is referred to a ‘oncosts’ for each role to ensure fairness and transparency.

Once we have this information we will update the articlle again.

Following the complaint, we had chance to think about our attempts for transparency and openness about spend particularly since the Council announced a serious financial crisis and the need to find £20million in savings in this financial year.

The Localism Act 2011 – Openness and accountability in local pay 1.1. Section 38(1) of the Localism Act 2011 requires local authorities to publish an annual pay policy statement.

The Local Government Transparency Code 2015 issued in February 2015 by the then Department for Communities and Local Government; and specific guidance relevant to the Localism Act issued by the Department in February 2012 and February 2013.

To comply with the above legislation Barnet Council, publish their Pay Policy document each year which shows the pay for all posts above £58k.

Barnet UNISON has reflected on this and has subsequently requested for the same transparency to be applied to TBG and BELS whereby each year the salaries that meet the criteria set out in the legislation above are published either by TBG and BELS or they are published alongside Barnet Council Annual Pay Policy each year.

Barnet UNISONs preference would be the reports would be submitted together to ensure that there is full transparency over Council spending on staff.

We are awaiting a response and will update members accordingly.

End.

Barnet Council and The Barnet Group cut tea and coffee to staff

Barnet Council announced last week that they would be ending tea and coffee for their staff in the workplace. The Barnet Group a local authority trading company 100% owned by Barnet Council has made the same statement to their staff.

 

“Things must be bad to if the employer believes that this cut will help address the financial crisis facing Barnet Council. How much is this really going to save? This message is not going down well with staff across both employers. Our members are more interested in whether the Council has a grip on millions they keep handing over to Agencies and Consultants (£20 million last year) or the millions given to Capita (£24 million) last year. The Council need to rethink this decision.” John Burgess, Branch Secretary, Barnet UNISON.

Social Care and Repair Workers 87% Vote Yes to Action on Pay

“If the those at the top can’t pay up then one of them should go so we do have money. We don’t need so many big Daddies.”

Anju, The Barnet Group UNISON rep

On a turnout of 70%, 98% agreed with Barnet UNISON’s pay claim and 87% said they were willing to take strike action in favour of the pay claim. The overwhelming majority of these are care and support workers.

Workers in The Barnet Group who are affected by the London Living Wage, having no enhanced rates of pay for working nights, bank holidays or overtime rates were surveyed in an indicative ballot for strength of feeling over these issues. Barnet UNISON’s pay claim was put to them.

Shockingly the lowest paid in The Barnet Group were given no pay rise for the whole of 2023! Paying the new rate of the London Living Wage 6 months after the new rate was announced with no backdate does not help the lowest paid.

The pay claim is: 

  1. Backdate the London Living Wage increase to £13.15 to the 1/11/23 and maintain differentials between other grades in YCB.
  2. Pay Overtime Rates of time and a half Monday to Saturday and double time Sundays and Bank Holidays.
  3. Pay enhanced rates of 25% Saturday 6am to 10pm; 50% Sunday all day; 100% Bank holiday (25% = time and a quarter; 50% = time and a half; 100% = double time)
  4. Pay an increased Rate of time and a third for night working (10pm-6am).

Barnet UNISON hopes that the results of the survey will lead to productive talks where consideration will be given to the demands. If no such consideration will be given we will progress to a formal ballot of these members with a view to taking strike action.

On hearing the results this is what some of our reps had to say:

“It’s a good result for us. Actions speak louder than words. We work so hard, we deserve it. We get no thank you’s.”

Tracy, The Barnet Group UNISON rep.

 “It’s time to act. It’s a call from the trenches.”

Pauline, The Barnet Group UNISON rep

“The COVID heroes have spoken. The Barnet Group needs to listen.”

Patrick Hunter, Assistant Branch Secretary for Barnet UNISON

“Most of these workers are skilled workers and yet they have rates of pay which are lower than for unskilled work. Is it because they are women? Is it because they are predominantly Black? If Equalities actually mean something, then this needs to be sorted.”

Helen Davies, Chair of Barnet UNISON.

 

End.

 

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