To view letter from Mark Serwotka General Secretary PCS please click here

The Barnet Group, where our branch members in Barnet Homes and Your Choice Barnet are, is hoping for the go-ahead from Councillors 14^th October to launch a new company with the specific intention of getting out of the Local Government Pension Scheme. We are concerned if this goes through it will set a precedent for the rest of the Council to follow. We are hoping that the Councillors also refer this decision to Full Council for a proper debate on whether a race to the bottom with workers’ terms and conditions is really the best way to deal with recruitment and retention issues??

Extract from Barnet UNISON report:

The central attraction in setting up TBG TCTC is in order to avoid the Local Government Pension Scheme. As stated in 2.3.2:

“Being restrained by offering the same benefits as the Council is considerably more expensive for the business, especially the cost of the LGPS.”

And 2.3.7:

“A further benefit in establishing a separate Trading Company is that it will limit the risk of the pension deficit. This means there will be no risk of it increasing further and therefore the liability to the Council will not increase over time.”

To view our report click here

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: UNISON Library response to 70% cut in staffed hours by Barnet Council.

On Friday 2 October 2015, Barnet Council published their devastating report on the future of the library service which revealed:

· 46% of workforce to be sacked

· Council are now proposing to cut the 634.5 staffed library hours a week to 188.

· Four out of 14 Libraries will be run completely by volunteers

Our report found

“The cost of the three phases of the Library Review is expected to be about £3.15m, plus £4.41m to reduce the size of libraries and install technology enabled opening systems, a total cost of £7.56m. This is 4.4 times the projected annual savings in the library service operational budget.”

“The scale of the cut in the Library budget is unprecedented and could result in permanent damage to the service, drastically reduce resident’s use of the service and demotivate staff. The planned savings fall short of the target, so further cuts may be made in the Library budget.”

Barnet UNISON report makes the following recommendation:

1. The Council should commit to retaining direct provision of the Library Service, eliminate the need for Phase 3 and save the £500,000 costs.

2. Undertake a more rigorous and comprehensive equality impact assessment of the potential effect of the technology-enabled opening hours, drawing on the socioeconomic profile of users in the Edgware pilot.

3. The equality impact of the proposals on staff must be included in the Equality Analysis.

4. The proposed additional risks should be included in the risk register.

5. The consultation process should prioritise the views of service users and groups and organisations that are potential users of library services and facilities.

Professor Dexter Whitfield said: “Instead of trying to recruit a contractor, the Council should commit to continued provision by Library staff and use the £500,000 savings to increase staffed hours”

Hugh Jordan Barnet UNISON Library Convenor said: “The Council’s proposal “Barnet future Library Service” is a plan to replace qualified, experienced staff who have a wide range of skills and knowledge with volunteer and machines, and to reduce the size and quality of Libraries. The people of Barnet, including our members, did not march, lobby, sign petitions and respond to the consultation in support of volunteer and machine operated libraries, they were defending a service staffed by real library workers, libraries with enough space for people to study and use IT, and to house sufficient items for loan to meet the needs of their users. UNISON members working in Barnet Libraries oppose the Council’s dire future vision of our Service.”

UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said:

“It is a little early for Halloween, but this Library proposal is more trick than treat. The trick is pretending to save our Libraries, the cut in staff and subsequent staff opening hours is tantamount to wholesale closure of all of our Libraries. This proposal will leave all the libraries to ‘wither on the vine’. I can predict a future Library meeting recommending closure of the Libraries with the justification being that no one is using the Libraries. Our members will be joining the Save Barnet Libraries campaign at the Library Committee meeting on 12 October.”

Save Barnet Libraries campaign are holding a rally outside Hendon Town Hall on Monday 12 October at 6 pm.

End.

Notes to Editors.

Contact details: John Burgess Barnet UNISON on 07738389569 or 0208 359 2088 or email: john.burgess@barnetunison.org.uk

Background:

1. Barnet UNISON response to proposal to sack 46% of Library workforce. –http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/Barnet%20Library%20Review%202%20UNISON.pdf

2. Save Barnet Libraries rally details here http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/12%20Oct%20CELS%20Lobby%20Flyer_0.pdf

3. The Future of Barnet Libraries – http://www.european-services-strategy.org.uk/publications/public-bodies/transformation-and-public-service-reform/options-appraisals/the-future-of-barnet-libraries/future-of-barnet-libraries.pdf

4. Why we are striking from a Library worker http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/?q=node/1576

To view UNISON report click here

On Friday 2 October 2015, Barnet Council published their devastating report on the future of the library service which revealed:

46% of workforce to be sacked

Council are now proposing to cut the 634.5 staffed library hours a week to 188.

Four out of 14 Libraries will be run completely by volunteers

View details of the Lobby here

That is right over 1 million people are about to hear all about what is happening to Barnet Council workers.

Today 1,164,633 people have now been contacted about why #BarnetStrikers are taking strike action tomorrow via thunderclap

Our picket lines are at the following work places.

· Join Helen from 7 am outside Barnet House

· Join Hugh from 9 am outside East Finchley Library

· Join John from 5 am outside Mill Hill depot

Read our flyer on the strike here

You can still show solidarity in many ways click here to find out more

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: UNISON confirm 24 hour strike 7 October – over 46 % of Library workers to be sacked

Barnet UNISON members who still work for Barnet Council (excluding community schools) will begin a 24 hour strike action on Wednesday 7 October.

The dispute involves social workers, coach escorts, drivers, occupational therapists, schools catering staff, education welfare officers, library workers, children centre workers, street cleaning & refuse workers, all of whom have made it clear they want to remain employees of Barnet Council and don’t want to be outsourced.

On Friday 2 October 2015, Barnet Council published their devastating report on the future of the library service which is reveals:

· 46% of workforce to be sacked

· Redundancy payments will cost £1.5 million

· Council are now proposing to cut the 634.5 staffed library hours a week to 188.

· Four Libraries, Childs Hill, East Barnet , Mill Hill, and South Friern will be run by volunteers

· Phase one of planning for and changing the library service has been estimated at £399,300

· Phase Two will cost £750, 000

· It is estimated that “reconfiguring libraries to release space” will cost £2 million.

· The cost in introducing technology that allows unstaffed opening will cost £2.41 million,

· This means that at least £6,560,3000 will be spent implementing changes to the Library Service  with the rationale of saving £2.850,000

· East Finchley Library reduced in size by 55% with staffed hour reduced from 40 hours to 16 hours.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said: “I have been a long term supporter of John Burgess & Barnet UNISON and the community campaign that has shown remarkable fighting spirit in the face of a relentless attack from the hard right in control of Barnet Council. Under Jeremy, people can see that there is a real alternative to austerity which is why I am fully behind Barnet UNISON members taking strike action on 7 October. If possible I hope to join you on the picket line.”

Hugh Jordan Library Convenor said: “The Council’s proposal “Barnet future Library Service” is a plan to replace qualified, experienced staff with a wide range of skills and knowledge with volunteer and machines, and to reduce the size and quality of Libraries. The people of Barnet, including our members, did not march, lobby, sign petitions and respond to the consultation in support of volunteer and machine operated libraries, they were defending a service staffed by real library staff, libraries with enough space for people to study and use IT, and to house sufficient items for loan to meet the needs of their users. UNISON members working in Barnet Libraries oppose the Council’s dire future vision of our Service.”

UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said:

“Barnet Council workers are in the frontline of austerity politics which is driving the outsourcing agenda and a ‘race to the bottom’ for our member’s terms and conditions. I am dismayed that so many loyal hard working Library workers are to be sacked in the name of progress. In a few weeks’ time 335 catering workers are expecting to hear news that they are likely to be handed over to private contractor ISS, without any guarantee they will continue to be paid the London Living Wage (LLW). Lidl & Morrisons have announced they will pay the LLW, yet Barnet Council are refusing to include the LLW in the contract. Once again it is low paid women paying the price of austerity. Our members will be on strike on 7 October and joining the Save Barnet Libraries campaign at the Library Committee meeting on 12 October.”

Our picket lines will be at the following locations.

· Barnet House from 7 am.

· Mill Hill Depot—Starts 6 am onwards.

· East Finchley Library—Start 9 am onwards.

Rally 12.30 – St Johns Church Hall, Friern Barnet Lane, Speakers to be confirmed

End.

Notes to Editors.

Contact details: John Burgess Barnet UNISON on 07738389569 or 0208 359 2088 or email: john.burgess@barnetunison.org.uk

Background:

Six years ago Barnet Council introduced a policy known as Future Shape which morphed into ‘easyCouncil’*.This imposed a series of tariffs on residents wishing to access a range of services. A basic service would be offered to residents at a fixed price, but ‘fast track’ services might be available if you paid extra.

This approach was quickly abandoned by the consultant driven One Barnet Programme, which led to the following Council Services being outsourced/privatised in the space of three years:

1. Social Care for Adults with disabilities to Your Choice Barnet

2. Housing Options to Barnet Homes

3. Parking Services to NSL

4. Revenues & Benefits, IT, HR & Payroll, Pensions, Health & Safety, Finance, Estates, Property Services, Procurement, Projects all now part of Capita CSG

5. Environmental Health, Planning, Building Control, Hendon Cemetery & Crematorium, Highways, Trading Standards & Licensing all now Capita RE

6. Legal Services

7. Registrars & Nationality Services

8. CCTV

9. Music Trust

10. Public Health

11. Mortuary Services.

Over the past three years our members have seen hundreds of colleagues transferred to other employers. This has often meant redundancy as the new employer moved jobs out of the borough and Greater London to places as far afield as Belfast, Carlisle, Coventry, Southampton and Darlington.

Barnet has branded this final phase as the ‘Commissioning Council’.

On 3 March 2015 Barnet Council agreed its next Five Commissioning Plans all of which are looking at ‘Alternative Delivery Models’, jargon for working for a different employer.

The Council Services now at risk of outsourcing are:

· Early Years – 13 Children’s Centres

· Library Services

· Adults & Communities services

· Street Scene Services e.g. Waste & Recycling, Street Cleansing, Parks and Transport

· Education & Skills and School Meals services.

Barnet Council is about to agree a number of outsourcing and cuts across a number of council committees over the next four months which would see the number of staff employed by the council reduced to less than 300.

The outsourcing of services is Barnet Council’s response to austerity policies which have resulted in council budgets being cut by 40% by 2020. It is a deliberate ideological attack on public services which punishes our members and limits access to public services for the most vulnerable in our society. Barnet Council announced a few weeks ago that Meals on Wheels will cease as from 1 April 2016, which is another sign of how pernicious austerity fundamentalist policies are to those in most need http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34310729

Dear UNISON member

As you all know Barnet Council UNISON members (excluding schools staff) are taking strike action on Wednesday 7 October.

Over the past two weeks we have been busy contacting our members by letter, meetings, phone, text and email.

However, last week we noticed that our weekly Enews which is sent to all of our members was not being delivered to our members working for Barnet Council.

We have conducted investigations to see if the problem was at our end. Our emails have been going to other employers emails and private email addresses, so it is clear that the problem lies with the IT service provided Capita.

I have written to senior officers of the Council and Capita to try to establish why all of a sudden Barnet UNISON emails were not reaching our members.

In the meantime it is important that our members are kept up to date on the details of the strike.

Please report to one of the following picket lines

1. Barnet House—From 7 am

Picket Line Coordinator: Helen Davies 07432733168

2. Mill Hill Depot—From 6 am

Picket Line Coordinator: John Burgess 07738389569

3. East Finchley Library—From 9 am

Picket Line Coordinator: Hugh Jordan 07983391740

Rally 12.30 -St Johns Church Hall, Friern Barnet Lane

Speakers to be confirmed.

To find out more about the strike click here

Best wishes

John Burgess

Branch Secretary

To view details of the Lobby please click here

 

 

 

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said :

“I have been a long term supporter of John Burgess & Barnet UNISON and the community campaign that has shown remarkable fighting spirit in the face of a relentless attack from the hard right in control of Barnet Council. Under Jeremy, people can see that there is a real alternative to austerity which is why I am fully behind Barnet UNISON members taking strike action on 7 October. If possible I hope to join you on the picket line.”