Branch campaigns
Save Barnet Libraries campaign which is supported by Barnet UNISON has launched an exciting opportunity for library workers, supporters to join together and take part in the “Grand Tour of Barnet Libraries”.
There are a series of four marches walking through Barnet to all of our Libraries starting on Saturday 28 March, 11 am outside Edgware Library.
For more details see the flyer here
Barnet UNISON Press Release: 19 March 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Care Workers to take strike action 25, 26 27 March. 2015.
UNISON members working for Your Choice Barnet (YCB) have agreed to escalate their strike action next week to three days, 25, 26 27 March.
This will make a total of 11 days of strike action since the dispute began. This is in a bid to reverse the harsh 9.5% pay cut imposed on them by their employer.
Tonight UNISON have submitted a report to the Adults & Safeguarding Committee urging them to end the dispute and restore stability for the service.
Our report is in response to a recently published damming inspection report by Care Quality Commission (CQC) which is being discussed at the Committee this evening.
UNISON report makes two simple recommendations:
1. Bring YCB services back in-house and secure properly funded and safe services for service users.
2. Failing bringing the services back in-house; enter negotiations with YCB to discuss a more sensible funding regime which will secure improved staff morale, a more permanent, committed and better trained workforce.
UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said: “Our report vindicates everything we said before the service was outsourced simply ‘you can’t make a profit out of social care without implications for service delivery.’ In this case we are talking about adults with disabilities some of whom have no one to speak for them. The CQC report was one element of YCB service, but it was the first area which was decimated by redundancies which resulted in an increase use of agency staff”
Details of Picket Line details for 25, 26 27 March.
1. Flower Lane Day Centre
41 Flower Lane
Barnet
London NW7 2JN
2. Rosa Morrison Day Centre
83 Gloucester Road
Totteridge
Barnet
London EN5 1NA
The start times are 7.30am to 3.30 pm
Notes to Editors.
Contact details: John Burgess Barnet UNISON on 07738389569 or 0208 359 2088 or email: john.burgess@barnetunison.org.uk
Background:
In February 2012 Barnet Council transferred Learning Disability and Physical and Sensory Impairment services for adults to a Local Authority Trading Company (LATC) called Your Choice Barnet (YCB). About 160 staff (145.6 Full Time Equivalents) in Adults services transferred to the LATC.
Following a restructure in 2013 and cuts to pay on shift allowances there are now only about 105 FTE working for YCB a 30% cut in staffing levels.
Links
1. UNISON report to Adults & Safeguarding Committee 19 March 2015.
2. Member’s Item – Your Choice Barnet
3. Why UNISON Your Choice Barnet Care Workers are taking strike action.
http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/2015.01.15.%20YCB%20FLYER%20PUBLIC.pdf
4. UNISON Your Choice Barnet Care Workers “9 Point Flyer
5. Your Choice – in built pension burden creates artificial loss to justify pay cuthttp://lbbspending.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/nochoice.html
6. Sign Petition to Stop the ongoing destruction of services for adults with disabilities in Barnet
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Tonight UNISON have submitted a report to the Adults & Safeguarding Committee urging them to end the dispute and restore stability for the service.
This follows a damming inspection report by Care Quality Commission (CQC) which is being discussed at the Committee this evening.
To view report click here
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: UNISON strike ballot of members working for Barnet Council opens today.
Today UNISON, one of the UK’s largest trade unions, serving more than 1.3 million members, opened their strike ballot today.
The Trades Dispute with London Borough of Barnet is over staff remaining in employment with Barnet Council.
The ballot is a direct response to the five commissioning projects agreed at the 3 March 2015 Full Council which would mean outsourcing the majority of the workforce into a variety of alternative delivery models.
The Ballot opens 18th March and closes 8th April.
At the infamous Full Council meeting on 3 March 2015, the Conservative Administration voted through the decision to explore other options for directly delivering council services. The services involved are as follows:
· Libraries
· Adults & Communities
· Children’s Centres
· Street Scene services
· Education & Skills and School Meals
UNISON estimates that this will mean upwards of 80% of the workforce are likely to be working for a different employer. According to a recent Barnet Council committee report there are only 1,466 directly employed permanent staff.
UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said:
“In December 2014 our branch conducted a poll of our members which produced the following feedback. 87% of our members want to remain employees of the London Borough of Barnet. 61% of our members said as a result of knowing they could be outsourced they are seriously looking to find employment elsewhere; 96% of our members expressed concern about being outsourced and 81% of members said morale was bad in their workforce. Feedback from the Poll and subsequent UNISON meetings reconfirms our members wish to remain Council employees which is why we are recommending a Yes vote in our strike ballot.”
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 Full Council 3 March 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCOl8-Z-1vA&feature=youtu.be
2. The legal questions raised by One Barnet
3. The One Barnet case heralds local government’s disappearing act
4. Strike ballot as Tory-run Bromley council plans to dramatically slash its workforce
IMPORTANT NEWS: OVERPAYMENTS
PLEASE SEE MESSAGE SENT OUT TO BARNET COUNCIL STAFF ON FRIDAY 13 MARCH. THE MESSAGE CONFIRMS THAT STAFF WILL NOT HAVE ANY MONEY DEDUCTED FROM THEIR PAY.
Sent: 13 March 2015 15:36
To: AllStaff
Subject: Weekly message from the Acting Chief Operating Officer – Staff Pay
“You will have received an email from ‘First Team’ on 10 March entitled ‘National Pay Awards – pay adjustments’. The email sets out details of the national pay award for local government staff and talks of the need for the Council to ‘recover overpayments’. In my role as Acting Chief Operating Officer, I have listened to the views of staff and reflected on this. As a consequence, I have decided that the Council should not go ahead with the recovery of these payments and, as a result, you will not see deductions to your pay, as the email suggests.
The outcome of the national pay award is that staff will receive a 2.2% pay rise, backdated to January 2015. The Council made a decision last year to award staff a pay increase of 1% from April 2014, on the premise that the most likely outcome of the national negotiations would be a 1% pay rise backdated to April 2014. We took this decision in good faith – ahead of the outcome of the national award – in recognition that staff had been subject to a number of years of pay freezes.
However, because the national pay award was only backdated to January rather than April, it means that the Council paid staff an additional 1% more between April – January. I have come to the conclusion that – since it was a proactive decision by the Council to make the award last April – the Council should stick to that and not seek to recover this from your pay. As ever, if you have a payroll query please contact HR payroll team.
In other news, our colleagues from the Adults Integrated Quality in Care Homes team attended the Skills for Care Accolades Awards this week, being shortlisted for most effective approach to integration and innovation. The CSG Procurement team were also shortlisted for the Local Government Chronicle efficiency award earlier this week. While they didn’t ultimately win, these are both fantastic achievements and demonstrate the breadth of quality services being delivered across the borough.”
Have a good weekend
John Hooton
Interim Chief Operating Officer
*** IMPORTANT: Strike ballot due to start 18 March 2015.
UNISON has notified Barnet Council that our strike ballot of our Council members opens on 18 March 2015.
The ballot paper will be delivered in an envelope which looks like this
It is a “Trade dispute with L B Barnet over staff remaining in employment with Barnet Council.”
Inside you will have some information (SEE HERE) to read and a ballot paper.
It is a very simple question and it will look like this and we are asking our members to vote YES.
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