Category: Local
Branch campaigns
UNISON Official Ballot is on for “ASSIST” Workers to take Strike Action
UNISON is balloting the ASSIST workers this week the result of the ballot will be announced 16 March.
- ASSIST provides this vital support to some 5,000 residents in Barnet and in Brent.
- For the lack of £160,000 a year the service is on notice that it is to be outsourced. UNISON has agreed to back these workers and will ballot all of them for official strike action.
- The Assist service, amongst other things, provides and maintains equipment to 5,000 mainly elderly residents of Barnet.
The most common of these items is the “lifeline” equipment which a resident would use if they fell. The resident would pull a cord or press a button on a pendant alarm which activates in the call centre and a decision is taken about whether someone from ASSIST needs to contact emergency services, a relative or go out themselves to emergencies. This support often makes the difference between someone being able to continue living at home or having to go into residential care.
During the Covid Pandemic the ASSIST service was rightly described as the “4th Emergency Service” by senior managers in The Barnet Group.
“Last Autumn we had the debacle of 74 care workers being given redundancy due to the closure of Apthorp Care Centre and now this! This service is so cheap to run and so valuable to thousands of residents of Barnet – it beggars belief that once again the lives of key workers are being thrown up in the air as soon as the crisis is over. We want Barnet Council and The Barnet Group which are essentially one and the same thing, to do the right thing and find a way forward which benefits residents and keeps a valued service in Barnet.” (Helen Davies, Branch Chair Barnet UNISON.)
“Keyworkers who were rightly praised by their managers are now rewarded for their hard work with outsourcing. At a time when Barnet Council are bringing services back in-house from Capita how can this valued service not been treated the same. If Human Resources, Finance, Recruitment, are needed back in-house why isn’t the ASSIST service being given the same treatment? I call upon Barnet Council to take back this service in-house and provide peace of mind for the 5,000 residents and the inspirational ASSIST workers who care so much about the service they provide.” (John Burgess Branch Secretary Barnet UNISON).
“The Assist workers have the full backing of Greater London UNISON for your dispute. You provide a vital service which enables vulnerable people to stay in their homes safe in the knowledge someone will respond quickly in an emergency. It’s a no brainer that your service benefits and supports the work of social care and the NHS. We want you to win and will support you all the way.” (Tracey Dalling Regional Secretary Greater London UNISON.)
End.
Note to Editors: Contact details: Helen Davies Barnet UNISON on or 020 8359 2088 or email: contactus@barnetunison.org.uk
Background:
- For more details on the ASSIST service and Barnet UNISON response click on our link below Barnet UNISON Response to Barnet Homes ASSIST Proposal
Don’t delay, register for Barnet UNISON AGM
Street Scene Payroll surgery 2 February 2022
On Wednesday 2 February 2022 an online pay roll surgery will take place for staff working in Street Scene.
There will be two sessions:
6 am to 7.30 am.
11 am to 1 pm.
The Pay roll surgery is for staff who have any issues with their January 2022 Pay slip.
If you want to book a time to deal with your pay slip issue, please contact your supervisor and your UNISON rep.
For further assistance please email Barnet UNISON on contactus@barnetunison.org.uk or leave a message on 0208 359 2088
End.
UNISON President Paul Holmes to speak at Barnet UNISON AGM
Paul Holmes UNISON President will be guest speaker at barnet_unison AGM Tuesday 8 February 2022 at 4pm
To register for our AGM simply click on the link and follow the instructions.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/barnet-unison-annual-general-meeting-2022-tickets-214627375257
ASSIST – the 4th emergency service – to be privatised
ASSIST ‘The 4th Emergency Service’
The Barnet Group have put out to tender part or all the services that our colleagues at ASSIST provide.
During the pandemic, Barnet Group management were calling ASSIST the 4th Emergency Service because of the vital services they provide to the most vulnerable in our community.
The service has been starved of investment, deliberately, by both the Barnet Group and the London Borough of Barnet, making it impossible for the service to ‘bid’ for contracts that would ensure the continuation of the service and enable it to expand.
UNISON have been informed that the yearly deficit to keep ASSIST open is £300k – but £140k yearly is the amount of unbilled service that ASSIST provides to the Barnet Group – and would have to be paid to any new provider, should any decide to bid on the tender.
Now LBB and TBG have decided that a new LBB directly funded role is merited in The Barnet Group a new ‘Head of Business Development & Transformation’ in Your Choice Barnet with a salary ‘outside’ of our Job Evaluation process but will be well in excess of £60k per year.
When will The Barnet Group and The London Borough of Barnet learn that it is frontline services to the public that should have priority when it comes to funding, not overpaid consultants?
What is to ‘Develop’ or ‘Transform’ if our services are privatised?
The message to the Barnet Group and the London Borough of Barnet is:
The only TUPE out of the Barnet Group that is acceptable to ASSIST UNISON members is a TUPE back in to LBB
where the service came from in the first place.
Please send messages of support to ASSIST
Barnet UNISON AGM Prize Draw
Barnet UNISON negotiates HGV drivers pay increase in November 2021
After months of negotiations and feedback from our members an agreement was reached with Barnet Council back in November 2021 for all depot staff with a Class 2 HGV driving licence.
This is what was offered:
“
the council’s Corporate Management Team that a 10% recruitment and retention payment (based on your current core salary) will be paid to all employees required to have a Class 2 HGV driving licence for work purposes. This is to ensure your work offer and pay remains competitive and is such that you want to continue your employment with the council. This will apply for a 12-month period from 01 October 2021 and will be split into four payments. The payments will be made in your December 2021, March 2022, June 2022, and September 2022 payslips.
”
The first payment was made in December 2021.
End.