Barnet UNISON Press Release: 16^th January 2015 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Care Workers to take strike action 22^nd & 23^rd January 2015.

UNISON members working for Your Choice Barnet (YCB) have just announced their next strike dates as being 22^nd and 23^rd January. In addition the workers will be attending an event in the House of Commons 28^th January highlighting the conditions for workers in this sector (see link below). This will make a total of 6 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.

UNISON and YCB have had numerous meetings at ACAS and there has been no improved offer which has come close to being acceptable to the majority of our colleagues. The latest offer made in October 2014, was a 7.9% pay cut and this was resoundingly rejected in a ballot of the membership. The discussions have, however, revealed stark issues imposed on YCB by Barnet Council which make it difficult to see how YCB can survive financially into the future without our members constantly bailing it out through their financial sacrifice. The pensions deficit (an extra 9.8% payment) for the TUPE’d staff was transferred across to YCB, although this did not happen with other contracts in the private sector. Relieving YCB of the pensions’ deficit would restore our members’ pay at one stroke. Not allowing YCB to charge for unplanned “no-shows” (when service users are unable to attend the service at short notice) would potentially halve the pay cut to our members. However, Barnet Council refuses to participate in any of our discussions although ultimately the Council holds the purse strings.

Meanwhile our members tell us they are working harder than ever with increasing levels of stress and no prospect of a pay rise. They report the first day they have off from work is used simply to recover from the stressful week they have had. The pay cut has left many of our colleagues finding it particularly hard to make ends meet.  They have made it clear to us they want to see a substantial shift in any new proposals from YCB in order to end the dispute.

UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said:

“Our members held back from taking action before Christmas in order not to disrupt the service for service users and their carers at such a sensitive time of the year. This demonstrates again their professionalism and dedication but also their determination to stand up to attacks on their terms and conditions.”

22 & 23 Picket Line details

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 12noon

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. 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

2. UNISON Your Choice Barnet Care Workers “9 Point Flyer

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/2015.01.15.%20STRIKE%20YCB%20FLYER%20nine%20point.pdf

3. Support UNISON Your Choice Barnet Care Workers strike action video

http://youtu.be/9jVXn6_BcVY

4. Your Choice Barnet Care worker to give evidence at Commission in House of Commons

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/2015.01.14.%20Care%20workers%20House%20of%20commons%20leaflet_0.pdf

5. Your Choice – in built pension burden creates artificial loss to justify pay cut http://lbbspending.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/nochoice.html

6. Sign Petition to Stop the ongoing destruction of services for adults with disabilities in Barnet

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-the-ongoing-destruction-of-services-for-adults-with-disabilities-in-barnet

To understand why Your Choice Barnet Care Workers are taking strike action

Read our flyer here

UNISON members working for Your Choice Barnet (YCB) have just announced their next strike dates as being 22^nd and 23^rd January. In addition the workers will be attending an event in the House of Commons 28^th January highlighting the conditions for workers in this sector (see link below). This will make a total of 6 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.

To understand how this dispute can be resolved view 9 Point Flyer click here

Barnet UNISON has organised Social Care Workers Commission on 28 January 2015 at 6.30, Committee Room 10, House Of Commons.

To view flyer click here

To view full report click here

Children, Education, Libraries and Safeguarding Committee 28 October 2014 Libraries Strategy report made the following recomendation within this report here

Barnet UNISON response to Barnet Council Library Strategy can found here

Barnet UNISON Service Improvement Plan

5 January 2015.

“A best value authority must make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the way in which its functions are exercised, having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency, and effectiveness.”

(s3(1) Local Government Act 1999)

The parts of the Duty can be summarised

as:

i. Continuous improvement in functions

ii. Having regard to a combination of:

a. Economic value

b. Efficiency

c. Effectiveness

The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 also places obligations on local authorities in England and Wales to consider how to improve social, economic and environmental well-being.

However, it does not change the Duty, it simply adds to it.

The new statutory guidance for England talks about social value in terms of procuring or commissioning goods and services, perhaps deliberately overlooking in-house service provision.

“…authorities should consider overall value, including economic, environmental and social value, when reviewing service provision. As a concept, social value is about seeking to maximise the additional benefit that can be created by procuring or commissioning goods and services, above and beyond the benefit of merely the goods and services themselves.” (Best Value Statutory Guidance (Sept 2011) [I don’t understand how this quote exemplifies the paragraph preceding it]

 

Barnet UNISON argues that social value should also be considered when looking at in-house services.

To view service improvement plan click here