Category: UNISON Campaign

news around UNISON campaigns

UNISON National Pay ballot : Frequently Asked Questions 2024

Austerity, Membership, National, News, Recruitment, Schools, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

1. What was the UNISON pay claim?

UNISON, alongside the other Local Government trade unions Unite and GMB, submitted a claim for an increase of £3,000 or 10%, whichever is the highest at every pay point. In addition, the claim also included a 2 hour reduction in the working week with no pay detriment, an additional day annual leave, and reviews of discriminatory pay gaps

 

2. What did the employers offer?

The employers offered an increase of £1,481 or 2.5%, whichever is the highest and rejected everything else.

 

3. Why is UNISON balloting us?

Yet again, the pay offer from our employers is another pay cut in real terms. We’ve had years of pay cuts and we have to say enough is enough. School and council workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are being balloted.

 

4. When will I get my ballot paper?

The ballot opened on 4 September. Ballot papers will start arriving over the next few days – they are being sent out in batches because there’s about 360,000 UNISON members in schools and councils!

 

5. Is UNISON recommending how to vote?

Yes, and YES! UNISON has rejected the employers offer, and is recommending to all members to vote YES for strike action

 

6. Shouldn’t UNISON be negotiating first?

UNISON reps spent weeks negotiating with the employers, but they wouldn’t increase their offer. So now we need to make it clear how serious we are about getting a decent pay rise.

 

7. Will my vote really make a difference?

Definitely – every single vote will make a difference. That’s because we have some really restrictive anti-union laws – so we can’t vote online, and over 50% of members must vote.

 

8. How will I know when I get my ballot paper?

It will arrive in an A5 bright purple envelope, it will have the UNISON logo on the front and will also say in large letters Stand Together For Better Pay, Council and School Pay 2024 on the front. It should be hard to miss!

 

9. How do I vote?

In the bright purple envelope, you will have a ballot paper – you put a X in one of the boxes (preferably YES) and then use the pre-paid, pre-addressed envelope to post the paper back to CES who are running the ballot for UNISON.

 

10. When do I need to return my ballot paper?

Your ballot paper must be returned before 16 October 10am. CES need to have received it by then, so really just complete and post it back as soon as you receive it.

 

11. What if I don’t get a ballot paper?

If you haven’t had a ballot paper by 17 September, then call the Hotline immediately on 0800 0857 857 and they will check your address and send out a replacement paper

 

12. I’ve heard people say it’s a disaggregated ballot? What’s that?

A disaggregated ballot means that we are all being balloted by employer. So for instance in Barnet, we have over 20 separate ballots – some smaller ones in schools that pay NJC pay, plus one for council workers and school workers still employed by Barnet. This is the same in every branch in the country. We need to get over 50% in as many of those ballots as possible.

 

13. If a workmate joins now will they get a ballot paper?

Someone not already in UNISON has until 3 October to join if they want to have a vote. They can join here: Join UNISON and get essential cover

 

14. Can people not in UNISON go on strike?

Yes, but we would always encourage someone to be in a union if they are going to strike. Plus, they wouldn’t be eligible for any strike pay unless they join the union taking strike action!

 

15. Can agency/contract workers join and strike?

Yes, agency workers can join UNISON and can go on strike

 

16. Will I get strike pay?

UNISON pays £50 a day strike pay. This amount can be changed depending on how many members are taking strike action. As soon as the ballot result is known, there will be discussions and decisions made about where strikes will be and about strike pay. If we get over 50% turnout and a YES vote for action, we will keep you updated about strike dates and pay. Details on how to claim it will be available when needed.

 

17. If we strike, we’ll lose money even with strike pay. Is it worth striking?

When we take strike action, we win more money overall than we lose. We know it’s difficult to lose money, but without taking action we know we’ll be worse off this year already. However, if we stand together, get the vote out and fight back, we can win more.

 

18. When we win, will the pay be backdated?

Yes, back to 1 April 2024

 

19. Do you know when we’ll get the money?

That will depend on when the employers give in and agree to our pay claim!

 

20. If someone isn’t in UNISON will they also get the pay rise?

Yes, but we have more chance of getting a better pay rise if we are stronger, so ask anyone not in UNISON to join and get involved to help us win for everyone!

 

21. Where can I find out more?

You can come to the visit the Barnet UNISON media channels where we are publishing updated information about the strike ballot on a regular basis.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/barnet_unison

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BarnetUNISON

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barnetunison/

Website:  https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/

 

End.

 

Press Release: Mass exodus of mental health social workers risks total collapse of services.

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

Barnet UNISON mental health social workers dispute with Barnet Council since 1 September 2023 has been over the failure to agree a recruitment and retention payment due to high turnover of staff across three mental health social worker teams.

On Monday 15 July 2024 UNISON wrote to Barnet Council suspending strike action and agreeing to go into talks to try and resolve the dispute.

Unfortunately talks broke down as it became clear in the meeting that Barnet Council was not prepared to reconsider their position.

The following facts provide a glimpse of the scale of the crisis facing Barnet Council.

  • 50% of the permanent workforce will have left one of the three mental health social work team workforce since 1 January 2024.
  • 31 mental health social workers will have left one of the three mental health social work teams in the last two years.
  • 12 mental health social workers have left the mental health social work team North in the last two years.
  • 19 mental health social workers have left the mental health social work team South in the last two years.
  • Did you know that 40% of AMHPs have left the AMHP team in the last two months.
  • 100% of AMHPs across the North and South mental health teams resigned and left the Council by the end of August 2024.
  • In July 2023 Barnet Council informed UNISON that they had a budget of £266k to resolve this dispute.
  • In a meeting with Acas in March 2024 with UNISON they doubled their budget to £532k.
  • It would cost £150k to settle this dispute

You can read more facts about this dispute here on our website http://All you need to know about Barnet UNISON mental health social worker strike https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/09/04/all-you-need-to-know-about-barnet-unison-mental-health-social-worker-strike/

 

At our last meeting with Barnet Council our reps informed senior management that they were leaving because it had become clear that Barnet Council does not value their staff or service users. Our members strongly believe that it is not safe to practice as a mental health social worker in the three frontline mental health teams.

“It has become apparently clear that Barnet Council has chosen confrontation rather than negotiation to resolve this high-profile dispute. It is not about the money because we know there is a pot three times bigger than what would be needed to bring this dispute to a close. The sheer scale of the numbers of social workers leaving these three teams should have set alarm bells ringing with senior management. The fact that they appear unconcerned about the risks of the chronic levels of turnover has left mental health social workers feeling deeply unsafe. We still have some members who are currently still working but feeling very scared about what could happen in terms of risks. Failure to end this dispute will leave Barnet Council exposed as an uncaring and unsafe workplace for mental health social workers.

I have recently reached out to the Chief Executive and Leader of Barnet Council to come back with a revised offer which may be able to retain some of the current staff and encourage experienced mental health social workers to come and work for Barnet.

Until there is a credible offer the Barnet UNISON mental health social worker dispute remains live and we will continue to report on the dispute. It is our duty to advocate for a safe working environment for our members and no one will silence our voice for our members.” (John Burgess, Branch Secretary, Barnet UNISON).

 

Notes to Editors.

Contact details: Barnet UNISON branch on 0208 359 2088 to leave a message on our voicemail or email: contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

Background:

1. ‘It’s Soul Destroying’: Why Barnet Social Workers Are on Strike.

https://tribunemag.co.uk/2024/06/its-soul-destroying-why-barnet-social-workers-are-on-strike

2. Euphoria felled by reality and scant ambition – I have seen what could be Labour’s future | Aditya Chakrabortty | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jul/02/euphoria-reality-labour-future-thatcher-tory

3. Mental health social workers consider striking over staffing levels. 20 June 2023

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2023/06/20/mental-health-social-workers-consider-striking-over-staffing-levels/

4. Strike ballot opens for mental health social workers. 8 August 2023.

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2023/08/08/strike-ballot-opens-for-mental-health-social-workers/

5. Mental health social workers vote to strike over ‘chronic staffing issues’ 6 September 2023.

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2023/09/06/mental-health-social-workers-vote-to-strike-over-chronic-staffing-issues/

6. Social workers to take 26 days’ further strike action in pay and staffing dispute.26 October 2023.

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2023/10/26/social-workers-to-take-26-days-further-strike-action-in-pay-and-staffing-dispute/

7. Inside a social work strike: the staff fighting for a ‘safe service’ 31 October 2023.

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2023/10/31/inside-a-social-work-strike-the-staff-fighting-for-a-safe-service/

8.Social workers re-balloted on striking after 27 days of action leaves pay dispute unresolved. 18 February 2024.

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/02/18/social-workers-re-balloted-on-striking-after-27-days-of-action-leaves-pay-dispute-unresolved/

9. Social workers to take nine more weeks of strike action as talks fail to resolve dispute.

8 March 2024.

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/03/08/social-workers-to-take-nine-more-weeks-of-strike-action-as-talks-fail-to-resolve-dispute/

10. Firm pulls out of providing service for council that union claims would have broken social work strike. 17 April 2024

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/04/17/firm-pulls-out-of-providing-service-for-council-that-union-claims-would-have-broken-social-work-strike/

11. Social workers reject council offer to settle dispute after more than 40 days of strike action. 16 May 2024.

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/05/16/social-workers-reject-council-offer-to-settle-dispute-after-more-than-40-days-of-strike-action/

12. Social workers escalate dispute with nine-week walkout. 17 May 2024

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/05/17/social-workers-escalate-dispute-with-nine-week-walkout/

13. Council to buy in service to cover social workers during 9-week strike. 21 May 2024.

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/05/21/council-to-buy-in-service-to-cover-social-workers-during-9-week-strike/

14. Union threatens court action over council plan to cover social work strike.

24 May 2024

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/05/24/union-threatens-court-action-over-council-plan-to-cover-social-work-strike/

15. Council outsources mental health service to cover social work strike 10 June 2024.

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/06/10/council-outsources-mental-health-service-to-cover-social-work-strike/

16. Mental health social workers pose greatest recruitment and retention challenge for adults’ services. 25 June 2024.

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/06/25/mental-health-social-workers-pose-greatest-recruitment-and-retention-challenge-for-adults-services/

17. Mental health social workers return to work after nine-week strike 16 July 2024

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/07/16/mental-health-social-workers-return-to-work-after-nine-week-strike/

18. ****This is where it all began in Barnet Council in 2016****

Council sheds qualified social worker posts to save money. 22 November 2016.

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2016/11/22/council-sheds-qualified-social-worker-posts-save-money/

19.

 

All you need to know about Barnet UNISON mental health social worker strike

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

Background.

There are three mental health social work teams in this dispute.

  • Mental Health Social Work North Team = 13 staff.
  • Mental Health Social Work South Team = 14 staff.
  • Approved Mental Health Professional Team (AMHP) = 5 staff

Barnet UNISON mental health social workers dispute with Barnet Council since 1 September 2023 has been over the failure to agree a recruitment and retention payment due to high turnover of staff across three mental health social worker teams.

On Monday 15 July 2024 UNISON wrote to Barnet Council suspending strike action and agreeing to go into talks to try and resolve the dispute.

Unfortunately talks broke down as it became clear in the meeting that Barnet Council was not prepared to reconsider their position.

This report seeks to provide information about the dispute which is now one of the longest running disputes in UNISON’s history.

*As this dispute is still ongoing this article will be continuously updated.

 

Leaver’s data.

1. Did you know 50% of the permanent workforce will have left the three mental health social work teams workforce since 1 January 2024.

 

2. Did you know that 31 mental health social workers will have left one of the mental health social work teams in the last two years.

 

3. Did you know that 12 mental health social workers have left the mental health social work team North in the last two years.

 

4. Did you know that 17 mental health social workers have left the mental health social work team South in the last two years.

 

5. Did you know that the mental health social work team South has no AMHPs.

 

6. Did you know that mental health social work team North has no AMHPs as from 1 September 2024.

 

7. Did you know that only one out of a mental health social work team management team of four is an AMHP.

 

8. Did you know that two out of four managers mental health social work teams have no previous experience of working in mental health services.

 

9.Did you know that by the end of August 2024 of the four Lead Practitioner (LP) posts across North and South mental health social work teams there will be two vacancies, leaving only one LP with experience working as a mental health social worker and one LP with no previous experience working as a mental health social worker.

 

10. Did you know that 40% of AMHPs have left the AMHP team in the last two months.

 

11. Did you know that there are only 3 AMHPs across the three mental health social work team teams.

 

12. Did you know that there are only 3 social workers left out of 14 who were in the mental health social work team North on 11 August 2022. Nine of the social workers have left. This represents 80% of the team. Please note that this team only employed social workers. Barnet Council introduced unqualified staff into the team in 2023 when social workers started to leave.

 

13. Did you know that there are only 3 social workers left out of 14 who were in the mental health social work team South on 11 August 2022. Nine of the social workers have left. This represents 80% of the team. Please note that this team only employed social workers. Barnet Council introduced unqualified staff into the team in 2023 when social workers started to leave.

 

Service user issues

1. Did you know that every time a social worker (either permanent or locum) leaves this means further disruption for mental health service users.

 

2. Did you know that there is still a 17-month waitlist for service users with mental health problems.

 

Barnet Council

1. Did you know that Barnet Council were asked to provide staff leaving data in July 2023 and only brought some data at a meeting with UNISON in March 2024. The data provided was not evidence of recruitment and retention issues.

 

2. Did you know that in July 2023 Barnet Council informed UNISON that they had a budget of £266k to resolve this dispute.

 

3. Did you know in a meeting with Acas in March 2024 with UNISON they doubled that figure to £532k.

 

4. Did you know that Barnet Council said they could easily settle our dispute because it was cheaper.

 

5. Did you know that it would cost £150k to settle this dispute?

 

6. Did you know that it took Barnet Council seven months before they would agree to a meeting with UNISON and Acas.

 

7. Did you know that in July 2024 UNISON wrote to Barnet Council suspending strike action. In that meeting with the knowledge that another 25% of permanent social workers had handed in their notice, Barnet Council brought no revised offer to the negotiating table.

 

8. Did you know that Barnet Council used a recruitment agency to strike break. They deny it was strike breaking arguing they outsourced the service. There has been no consultation about outsourcing services with UNISON.

 

9. Did you know that Barnet Council carried out a restructure of mental health social work teams. A report entitled “Adults Social Care Mental Health Service Restructure Consultation Report and Final Proposals, July 2022” was shared with staff.

Two years on and this is the list of their 17 outstanding actions:

  • There will be further consultation and engagement with staff to review team criteria; improve processes and pathways; and ensure there are effective ways to work alongside health colleagues for the benefit of the residents we support.
  • Move of MH Front Door to SCD – suggested this is postponed until referrals criteria are confirmed and training for SCD staff is provided on this basis
  • To develop and implement a retention strategy for mental health social work staff
  • To review existing staffing ratios in mental health service to ensure sufficiency and that teams can operate safely and will not be at risk of burn out.
  • Further need for data cleansing (those noted on Mosaic as having a mental health as a primary need are accurately recorded as such) and addressing backlog of updating contacts in Mosaic
  • Co-production with people we support to find out what they think and what changes are necessary.

Ideas to explore further in transformation process:

  • A multi-agency crisis team
  • Staff specifically dedicated to conducting Care and Support Plan reviews
  • Specialist worker for carrying out CHC checklist or using existing resources in CHC.

Risk highlighted:

  • End of Think -Ahead Students placements impacting negatively on capacity (students are currently holding large number of cases)
  • Backlog of reviews.

 

  • Gaps in service availability need to be addressed by the commissioning plan.
  • Additional business support resource was added to the original proposal.
  • The transfer of the MH front door to SCD has been postponed until September, to ensure criteria are clear and staff have been trained on this basis.
  • Further work will be undertaken as part of the workforce strategy and business planning process to look at the capacity of teams across adult social care given the pressures of demand that the service faces.
  • Duty arrangements will need to be finalised and discussed with managers and staff to reflect the move of initial contact to SCD.
  • Mental Health Teams wished to maintain access to Rio.

 

Publicity about the dispute.

1. Did you know that Community Care published 15 articles about this dispute which you can read here on our web site.

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/07/29/barnet-council-mental-health-social-worker-recruitment-crisis-community-care/

 

2. Did you know that UNISON wrote to CQC outlining our serious concerns about the crisis unfolding across mental health social work teams https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/FINAL-LETTER-TO-CQC.pdf

 

3. Did you know that UNISON wrote to Association of Directors of Social Services (ADASS) outlining our serious concerns about  the crisis unfolding across mental health social work teams https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/FINAL-LETTER-TO-ADASS.pdf

 

4. Did you know that UNISON wrote to Social Work England outlining our serious concerns about the crisis unfolding across mental health social work teams https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FINAL-LETTER-TO-SWE.docx

 

5. Did you know that UNISON wrote to Executive Director of Adult Social Care Dawn Wakeling outlining our serious concerns about the crisis unfolding across mental health social work teams https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2023/11/16/open-letter-to-executive-director-of-adult-social-care-mental-health-social-work-dispute/

 

6. Did you know that UNISON wrote to Director of Adult Social Care James Mass outlining our serious concerns about the crisis unfolding across mental health social work teams https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2023/11/16/open-letter-to-director-of-adult-social-care-mental-health-social-work-dispute/

 

7. Did you know that UNISON wrote to Leader of Labour controlled Barnet Council Barry Rawlings outlining our serious concerns about the crisis unfolding across mental health social work teams https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2023/11/15/open-letter-to-cllr-barry-rawlings-leader-of-barnet-council/

 

8. Did you know that UNISON produced a community newspaper (Barnet VOICE) for Barnet residents outlining our serious concerns about the crisis unfolding across mental health social work teams

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Barnet-Voice-4-v08.pdf

 

9. Did you know that 20,000 community newspapers were delivered to Barnet residents.

 

10. Did you know that Guardian Journalist Aditya Chakrabortty wrote an article about this dispute entitled “Euphoria felled by reality and scant ambition – I have seen what could be Labour’s future | Aditya | The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jul/02/euphoria-reality-labour-future-thatcher-tory

 

11. Did you know the Tribune newspaper covered the dispute in this article. ‘It’s Soul Destroying’: Why Barnet Social Workers Are on Strike. https://tribunemag.co.uk/2024/06/its-soul-destroying-why-barnet-social-workers-are-on-strike

 

12. Did you know that an Early day motion was submitted about the Barnet UNISON mental health social worker dispute which you can view here https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/61831/barnet-mental-health-union-dispute

 

13. Did you know that hundreds of trade union members have signed a public statement calling upon the Leader of Barnet Council, Cllr Barry Rawlings to stop the use of agency workers to strike break. View statement here

https://bit.ly/barnetstrike

 

 

End.

National Pay Strike Ballot: What is UNISON doing?

Anti - Racism, Austerity, National, News, Report, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

Barnet UNISON members will join 360,000 UNISON members across England and Wales, in a National Pay Strike ballot which opens on 4 September and closes on 16 October.

UNISON advice to all 360,000 members is to VOTE YES for strike action

When can I vote?

Ballot papers will be sent directly to UNISON members’ home addresses. It is important that ALL Barnet UNISON members put a cross in the box and post the ballot back in the envelope provided.

For a successful strike ballot, a trade union must ensure that at least 50% of members have voted.

We know from other trade unions that it is important to contact all our members personally to try and get over the 50% target.

To this end Barnet UNISON will begin work to speak to every one of our members who are being balloted.

  • We will be organising meetings in workplaces, schools, children centres, depots, Colindale both in-person and online.
  • On Monday 2 September 6.30 pm we are holding an online National Pay meeting to explain about the strike ballot and to take questions.
  • We are organising a telephone banking team to try and speak to every member. If you have a message left on your voicemail from Barnet UNISON, please respond back in order we can check you off as having voted. If you receive a text message from UNISON, please respond so we can register you as having voted.
  • We will also be sending emails to members asking if they have voted. If you have voted please reply to confirm, if you have not voted or you do not have a ballot paper, please let us know as we can help to have another ballot paper sent out to you.

How much are they offering?

To understand why UNISON is recommending all 360,000 members to VOTE YES for strike action UNISON has produced a helpful online tool which provides each member with clear information that this is another PAY CUT during the worst cost of living crisis in 77 years.

Before you use the online calculator, you will need to know your annual salary. If you don’t know what you earn, please speak to your line manager.

You can access the link using the QR Code ( create QR code for this link  but keep link in flyer https://unisonpaycalculator.co.uk/ )

The online calculator provides four bits of financial information.

To help explain how it works we are using an example of a Barnet Council Grade D worker (working full time) and on the bottom of the grade.

  1. This worker currently earns £28,272.
  2. Using the UNISON National Pay Calculator this worker will with the current offer will move up to £29,763
  3. UNISON’s claim was for £3,000 or 10%, whichever was greater.
  4. The online calculator shows UNISON’s Pay claim would mean another £1,710 for this Grade D worker taking their pay to £31,474.
  5. Had this Grade D worker’s salary kept up with inflation since 2010, they’d be receiving £35,340.
  6. UNISON view is being £1,710 worse off is not a pay rise which is why all UNISON members are being advised to VOTE YES for strike action.

Is there enough money?

  • The answer is YES.
  • The UK is the sixth largest economy in the world.
  • We are in the worst cost of living crisis in 77 years
  • The number of UK billionaires has gone up by 20% since pandemic.
  • MPs will get a pay rise from £86, 584 to £91,346 alongside expenses and subsidised meals.
  • 177 billionaires in the UK increased their wealth by £150 billion between 2020-22 (directly benefiting from the pandemic!). Billionaire Britain – Equality Trust.
  • Oxfam’s analysis found that the richest 1% of Britons hold more wealth than 70 per cent of Britons, while the four richest Britons have more wealth than 20 million Britons.
  • Shell continues to reap the rewards of soaring energy prices, reporting astounding profits of £5.8 billion in Q4 2023 bringing the year’s grand total to £22 billion
  • New figures released by the Trussell Trust have also revealed that more than 3.1 million emergency food parcels were provided to people facing hardship between April 2023 and March 2024.
  • England’s water firms made £1.7bn in pre-tax profits. This is up 82% since 2018-19, when the same companies made £955m
  • Food shopping prices are still rising.  
  • Rent and/or mortgage payments are still rising.

The Government chooses who they give the money to … and it’s not to public sector workers. The value of public sector pay has fallen by almost 27% which is why we are in this serious cost of living crisis.

End.

Barnet Council mental health social worker recruitment crisis : Community Care

Anti - Racism, Austerity, Disability, Health and Safety, Local, News, Recruitment, Solidarity, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign

Community Care Articles

Below are links to articles about the mental health social workers strike.

 

1. Mental health social workers consider striking over staffing levels.

20 June 2023

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2023/06/20/mental-health-social-workers-consider-striking-over-staffing-levels/

 

2. Strike ballot opens for mental health social workers.

8 August 2023.

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2023/08/08/strike-ballot-opens-for-mental-health-social-workers/

 

3. Mental health social workers vote to strike over ‘chronic staffing issues’

6 September 2023.

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2023/09/06/mental-health-social-workers-vote-to-strike-over-chronic-staffing-issues/

 

4. Social workers to take 26 days’ further strike action in pay and staffing dispute.

26 October 2023.

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2023/10/26/social-workers-to-take-26-days-further-strike-action-in-pay-and-staffing-dispute/

 

5. Inside a social work strike: the staff fighting for a ‘safe service’

31 October 2023.

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2023/10/31/inside-a-social-work-strike-the-staff-fighting-for-a-safe-service/

 

6. Social workers re-balloted on striking after 27 days of action leaves pay dispute unresolved.

18 February 2024.

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/02/18/social-workers-re-balloted-on-striking-after-27-days-of-action-leaves-pay-dispute-unresolved/

 

7. Social workers to take nine more weeks of strike action as talks fail to resolve dispute.

8 March 2024.

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/03/08/social-workers-to-take-nine-more-weeks-of-strike-action-as-talks-fail-to-resolve-dispute/

 

8. Firm pulls out of providing service for council that union claims would have broken social work strike.

17 April 2024

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/04/17/firm-pulls-out-of-providing-service-for-council-that-union-claims-would-have-broken-social-work-strike/

 

9. Social workers reject council offer to settle dispute after more than 40 days of strike action.

16 May 2024.

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/05/16/social-workers-reject-council-offer-to-settle-dispute-after-more-than-40-days-of-strike-action/

 

10. Social workers escalate dispute with nine-week walkout.

17 May 2024

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/05/17/social-workers-escalate-dispute-with-nine-week-walkout/

 

11. Council to buy in service to cover social workers during 9-week strike.

21 May 2024.

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/05/21/council-to-buy-in-service-to-cover-social-workers-during-9-week-strike/

 

12. Union threatens court action over council plan to cover social work strike.

24 May 2024

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/05/24/union-threatens-court-action-over-council-plan-to-cover-social-work-strike/

 

13. Council outsources mental health service to cover social work strike

10 June 2024.

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/06/10/council-outsources-mental-health-service-to-cover-social-work-strike/

 

14. Mental health social workers pose greatest recruitment and retention challenge for adults’ services.

25 June 2024.

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/06/25/mental-health-social-workers-pose-greatest-recruitment-and-retention-challenge-for-adults-services/

 

15. Mental health social workers return to work after nine-week strike

16 July 2024

https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/07/16/mental-health-social-workers-return-to-work-after-nine-week-strike/

 

To be continued……………..

Bad News for Housing Workers in Barnet Council

Anti - Racism, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Housing, Local, News, UNISON Campaign

On Tuesday 16 July Barnet Council Cabinet Committee met and agreed to carry on with the outsourced Barnet Homes model of employment.

According to one councillor “If something isn’t broken don’t fix it, is my mantra,”

(You can view the discussion and quote two hours, two minutes and 10 seconds on the Council recording of the meeting access via this link https://rb.gy/6d51j0 )

Barnet UNISON had submitted a report to the Cabinet Committee which members can read by clicking on the link below.

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/UNISON-Housing-Service-Report-2024.pdf

I have been attending Council Committee meetings as a UNISON rep for almost 28 years and in all that time one thing that stands out when all councillors are speaking about council services is that they fail to acknowledge that without the workforce there would be no services for residents.

For instance, where they are discussing a decision which has a fundamental impact on the workforce, they refuse to allow UNISON to speak and answer questions from councillors about our own report and recommendations.

Barnet UNISON has hundreds of outsourced members who are all providing services on behalf of Barnet Council, yet they are not entitled to Barnet Council Terms and Condition or access to the Local Government Pension Scheme. Over the past 15 years outsourcing services has been the direction of travel for many of our members.

What councillors and senior officers who draft the reports promoting the outsourcing don’t want to discuss is the detrimental impact of outsourcing on the workforce. They are keen to offer words of comfort, but as our members know words of comfort do not pay the rent, the energy bills, the food shop. There is no discount for outsourced workers when the council tax bill arrives, or travel cost go up again.

We are in the worst cost of living crisis in 77 years and many of our members in the outsourced workforce need to two jobs to survive and even that is not enough, and they are forced to rely on food banks.

What we have in Barnet is a Two-Tier workforce and it is our duty as a trade union to try and negotiate an end to outsourcing.

For Housing workers, it is deeply disappointing that members of the committee do not see the connection between how the staff are treated in terms of pay and terms and conditions and service delivery.

There is only one other ALMO in London whilst every other Housing worker is on Council Terms and Conditions with access to the Pension scheme.

Barnet UNISON believes that Housing workers deserve better which is why we are supporting UNISON National Policy “Bringing Services Home” campaign.

Look out for our communications which start in the Autumn. A campaign must involve member not just the reps.

If you are a Housing worker and have a question, please email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

John Burgess Branch Secretary, Barnet UNISON.

End.

 

 

 

 

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/UNISON-Housing-Service-Report-2024.pdf

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