Category: Trades Dispute

Former Barnet Council run Kosher Kitchen Service is closed without notice.

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

Barnet UNISON is sad to report that the Kosher Kitchen catering service which after decades of providing school meals was closed on Friday 5 May 2023.

40 catering workers were asked to attend a meeting last Friday at short notice where they were informed that the service was closing today.

UNISON has been sent the HR1 form which sets out the details of the redundancy.

The reason given for issuing redundancy is “insolvency.”

In response to this news Barnet UNISON has asked Barnet Council to take back the Kosher Kitchen service in order that catering services to the schools can continue.

We are hearing news that many of the schools had no warning the service would close, and no one knows who will be providing school meals this week.

Our members are distraught they had no idea that their jobs were at risk. All 40 staff were told to sign on this week.

In the meantime, we are arranging urgent meetings with our members.

Barnet UNISON is clear that the Kosher Kitchen service must remain open in Barnet.

“The One Barnet/Easy Council mass outsourcing policy has failed the Kosher Kitchen Service. It has failed to ensure schools meals for the children who relied on it. This is a service with a long tradition of providing kosher meals for pupils. Barnet Council must step up and save this service to ensure the pupils at the schools have a reliable excellent service going forward.” John Burgess, Branch Secretary, Barnet UNISON

 

End.

Note to Editors: Contact details: Barnet UNISON on or 020 8359 2088 or email: John.Burgess@barnetunison.org.uk

 

Background:

The Kosher Kitchen Service was outsourced by Barnet Council in 2016 to ISS.

In 2021 and 2022, the Kosher Kitchen service including staff was TUPED to Signature Education.

On 1 March 2023 Signature Education TUPED the Kosher Kitchen service including staff to London Kosher Caterer.

The Kosher Kitchen Service used to provide a service for the following schools:

Hasmonean Primary School, Beis Yaakov Primary School, Pardes House Primary School, Menorah Primary School, Sacks Morasha Primary School, Rimon Primary School, Mathilda Marks Kennedy, Beit Shvidler Primary School, Nancy Reuben, Etz Chaim, IJDS, Menorah Foundation, Hasmonean High School MAT (2 schools), Kosher CPU.

 

 

 

National Pay: Find out how much you really should be paid!

Anti - Racism, Austerity, Local, National, News, Solidarity, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign

Whatever the politicians say, the cost of living is not going down, its going up. Which is why #UNISON is balloting schools and council workers for strike action for a real pay rise.

Look at the #UNISON pay calculator which shows what a Grade B worker needs to survive in the worst #CostOfLivingCrisis in 76 years Click on the UNISON link and follow instructions.

https://unisonpaycalculator.co.uk/

 

Here are some examples of Grade B workers in Barnet Council:

Gardener, Loader on Waste &Recycling, or Level 2 School Technician.

 

End.

17 days and still no payslips for depot workers

Austerity, Local, News, Solidarity, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign

Barnet Council Street Scene workers have yet to receive their payslip for March 2023. The matter was immediately escalated to senior management before the Easter Break. However, 14 days into April there is no sign of the payslips. The worrying thing is that the Council seem powerless to do anything about it.

The problem is that the Council does not have a payroll service. They outsourced this service to Capita in 2013.

Some of our members were confused about the involvement of Capita because of the news that one contract with Capita ended on 31 March 2023. Unfortunately, the HR Payroll contract is a separate contract and will continue to be provided by Capita until 31 August 2024.

Section 8 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 states that “An employee has the right to be given by his employer, at or before the time at which any payment of wages or salary is made to him, a written itemised pay statement.”

Payslip Law 2019/2020 Section 4 of the payslip law states that employees have the right to receive payslips from their employers.

ACAS advise that an employer should send out a communication to their workforce explaining the reasons why the payslip wasn’t issued and when it will be sent.

Day 17 and no sign of a payslip and no communication to the depot workers as to why it has not been sent.

Barnet UNISON is  against their employer the London Barnet Council.

End.

UNISON calls for urgent action over chronic shortages of frontline Mental Health social workers.

Austerity, Health and Safety, Local, News, Recruitment, Report, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign

North London Business Park, New Southgate. 08/07/15 Anne-Marie Sanderson.

Earlier this month Barnet UNISON met with senior managers in Adult Social Care to try to secure an agreement as to how to deal with the chronic and dangerous shortage of frontline Mental Health social workers across the two Mental Health social work teams.

Barnet UNISON presented evidence of unsafe staffing levels across the two teams where, in both teams, over 50% of the workforce are newly qualified and almost 40% are agency workers, most of whom have barely 2 years’ experience of working in Barnet. The situation has been brewing over the last 9 months and has reached a point where staff are demanding the Council must act to both try to retain the existing staff and recruit and retain new and experienced staff.

Barnet UNISON has been asking for the implementation of the Council’s Recruitment and Retention Policy (RRP) as a short term solution to try to hold on to existing staff whilst developing a more comprehensive plan to make Barnet Mental Health social work service one in which staff want to stay. The RRP has been used in Family Services social work for the last 6 six years and has recently increased the rate up to 25% in recognition of the serious RR issues in some parts of Family Services.

Unfortunately, the response from senior management has been disappointing and, whilst an agreement to meet again soon was made, it appears they are underestimating the scale of the problem and the impact it is having on the morale of the workforce.

On 16 March 2023, Barnet UNISON made a formal request for a JNCC meeting at which we will table our trades dispute over RRP. Barnet UNISON has stated we are open to negotiation, but time is running out. The impact on morale and the health and wellbeing of our members working in Mental Health Services is paramount.

“I really don’t know what they are looking at when they look at the staffing levels for the two frontline Mental Health Social work teams. Our local reps explained concisely the levels of stress and anxiety being felt by the workforce and the inevitable consequences if the Council don’t act now. At the time of our meeting two senior social workers had already handed in their notice, yet it did not feel that management understood the seriousness of this news for the remaining staff. If the Council don’t work with us, I can see another exodus of staff. In the meeting I informed the management that we carried out an indicative ballot whereby 100% voted for strike action if the Council did not agree to RRP. Its nearly two weeks since we last met and I have had no approaches from the Council to meet.” (John Burgess, Branch Secretary, Barnet UNISON)

End.

HGV Driver dispute draws closer to formal strike action

Austerity, Local, News, Solidarity, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign

In September 2021, in response to the HGV driver shortage, Barnet Council agreed to pay a Recruitment and Retention Payment (RRP) as per the Council Policy for HGV drivers. Each year RRP should be reviewed.

In negotiations with the Council, Barnet UNISON requested an increase in the retention payment on the grounds that there is still an HGV driver recruitment issue but that the Cost-of-Living Crisis is ongoing e.g.

  • In the last year, gas prices rose by 132%, electricity by 66%, mortgage interest payments by 26%, petrol by 22%.
  • 25% has been lost from the value of their pay since 2010.
  • As household costs continue to rise, the value of staff pay keeps falling – with 6% lost from the value of local government pay in 2022 alone.

The negotiations at a local level broke down and the matter was escalated to a meeting with the Chief Executive.

In advance of the meeting, Barnet UNISON undertook an informal consultation of our members. 97% of members voted that they would take strike action if the offer was not increased.

In a meeting with the Chief Executive on 27 February 2023, Barnet UNISON submitted our claim and informed the meeting of the outcome of our consultation.

Unfortunately, the negotiations failed to resolve this dispute and Barnet UNISON formally registered a Trades Dispute.

“It’s a shame. The employer has been made aware for some time of the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on the workforce in the depot. The use of RRP has been used in Family Services for nearly six years and has recently been increased to 25% on top of another payment entitled flexible benefits which provides another 17% on top for those workers. Our members are aware of these payments and feel that the Council treats manual workers unfairly compared to office workers and I think they have a point. I have asked the Council to reconsider their position. In the meantime, I will be shortly referring to our UNISON National Industrial Relations Committee for permission to carry out a formal strike ballot if there is not counter offer from the Council.” (John Burgess, Branch Secretary, Barnet UNISON.)

End.

“Industrial action looms as employers offer is yet another pay cut for School staff and Council workers.” Term Time Pay version.

Austerity, Local, National, News, Schools, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign

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

End.

Barnet Tories 2023/24 Council Budget Plan to cut hundreds of jobs……

Anti - Racism, Austerity, COVID 19, Health and Safety, Local, News, Solidarity, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign

Barnet Tories 2023/24 Council Budget Plan to cut hundreds of jobs and the right to representation by a trade union.

Read details here on the Council website https://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s76600/Conservative%20Alternative%20Budget%20Final%20Publish.pdf

In the biggest Cost of Living Crisis in over 75 years Barnet Tories have proposed an alternative budget that according to the Councils Chief Finance officer has this to say:

“Notionally this would be taking approximately 100 posts out of the services not mentioned above. This would have a significant impact on the delivery of those services and the S151 would advise caution in the delivery of this saving and the impact it could have on services.”

https://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s76601/S151%20and%20Monitoring%20Officer%20Comments%20on%20Alternative%20Budget.pdf

 

This anti worker rhetoric sums up where we are politically. The only response the Tories have is to frighten workers with redundancies and at the same time take away the right of workers to organise and be represented by trade unions.

If they want to look at waste, Barnet UNISON warned the Tories of the dangers of their mass outsourcing ideology back in 2008. We warned it would lead to poorer services, mass redundancies and of course we warned that Barnet would become a cash cow to the contractors.

Take a look at Barnet Blogger Mr Reasonable and read in horror the latest figures of Council spend on the two Capita contracts read below

http://reasonablenewbarnet.blogspot.com/2023/02/capita-continuing-to-disappoint-in.html

 

To date Barnet Council has given Capita an eye watering £634 million of which £273 million more than the contracted value.

Back in 2012 Barnet UNISON was assured that Capita would be held to account, but the reality is that they have been treated differently to in-house services who have had to try to deliver services through austerity whereas Capita keep holding their hands out asking for more.

What was worrying at the last Audit Committee on 16 January 2023 is that the Council were not seeking compensation for poor performance and even more worrying that the Council is not monitoring Capita in the last few months of contract take a listen below:

https://aisapps.sonicfoundry.com/AuditelScheduler/Player/Index/?id=2329a97b-5ee9-40b6-ad39-aef3cce9a3b6&presID=b142792e21954335a5579e2a62fb46ef1d

 

The Tories spent £13 million to consultants to help develop and manage the mass outsourcing of services.

What about the decision to set the Council depot based in the centre of the borough ideally located to deliver frontline services to the residents of Barnet. A decision that saw services split between Barnet and Harrow. This model did not work, and the costs associated with moving services back to one location have cost millions with more still to be spent.

Barnet UNISON is proud of the hard work and commitment of all our members working across all parts of the Council including schools. They were quite rightly lauded as key workers, most of whom went into work when others worked from the safety of their homes.

We will continue to organise and mobilise our members wherever they are.

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