Category: National
National Campaigns
Reject the insulting 3.2% National Pay offer – inflation now 3.5%
VOTE REJECT – YOUR PAY MATTERS ‼️
Barnet UNISON is urging every member to REJECT the employers’ 3.2% pay offer for 2025/26. Here’s why your voice – and your vote – matters more than ever:
📉 3.2% Is a Pay Cut, Not a Pay Rise
Inflation has jumped to 3.5% (The Guardian, 21 May 2025). The 3.2% offer won’t even keep pace — it’s a real-terms cut.
🛑 We’ve Already Lost Enough
Local government pay has lost 25% of its value since 2010.
Thousands of frontline staff are struggling to cover rising housing, childcare, and energy bills while employers reject even basic improvements.
💸 There Is Money – It’s Just Hoarded at the Top
In the UK, the 50 richest families now hold more wealth than the poorest 50% of the population combined, which includes over 34 million people. The number of billionaires in the UK has risen from 15 in 1990 to 165 in 2024, with the average billionaire’s wealth increasing over 1,000% during that period. The rich are getting richer — and fast.
Public services are being starved while extreme wealth is left untaxed. It’s time to tax the rich — not make workers pay for the crisis they didn’t cause.
🧨 Always Money for War, But Never for Workers
Government spending on military escalation continues — while schools crumble, council services are slashed, and staff like us are told to tighten our belts.
Our communities need investment, not cuts. We cannot rebuild services on broken wages.
⚠️ This Offer Solves Nothing
- Employers have rejected every call for better working conditions:
❌ No £15/hr minimum
❌ No extra leave
❌ No reduced hours
❌ No term-time flexibility
✊ We Deserve Better
This fight is about dignity, respect, and fairness. We keep services running. We supported our communities through crisis after crisis. Now they expect us to accept less – again.
🗳️ Vote REJECT — and demand a deal that reflects our value and funds public services, not billionaire bank balances.
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Join the March against Austerity march Sat 7 June
To view flyer click on link below
https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Austerity-March-June-7-2025.pdf
National Pay Offer – 3.2% more news to follow………….
Message to all of our Barnet UNISON schools members
Dear Barnet UNISON
In early February, Barnet UNISON wrote to every school in Barnet seeking permission to speak to our members about the new School Support Staff National Negotiating Body (SSSNB) which will be established for all school support staff in England, including those working in academies and multi academy trusts.
You can view the letter to your school by clicking on the link below.
https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025.01.20-Letter-to-headteacher.pdf
Our Assistant Branch Secretary Beverley Berwick has already started visiting schools speaking with members and the Head about the SSSNB.
This is likely to be the biggest change of our members in schools in a generation which is why we are keen to speak to our members.
If you are interested in helping to arrange a visit in your school, please email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk and request a visit.
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Background:
Read more about SSSNB click on link below
https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SSSNB-members-briefing.pdf
Barnet Council: “Outsource, outsource and more outsourcing.”
“A Labour Government would oversee the ‘biggest wave of insourcing for a generation,’ deputy leader Angela Rayner has said” (2022)
Fast forward to 2025 and here in Barnet Council the message is clear outsourcing, outsourcing and more outsourcing.
In the last 12 months our cleaners were told they would not be brought back inhouse our parking workers were told late last year that insourcing was not an option and tomorrow Wednesday 5 February Education workers were told that they would remain outside the Council, denying staff access to a public sector pension scheme.
The trade unions all lobbied the Labour Administration and were sent a very clear message that outsourcing is off the table.
We are in the worst cost of living crisis in 77 years and our lowest paid are living in daily fear as to what bills they can pay.
Our outsourced members are the worst impacted as privatisation brings the following:
Job Insecurity and Reduced Benefits:
Private companies often prioritise profit maximisation, which can lead to job cuts, reduced wages, and fewer benefits for workers.
This can create instability and financial hardship for low-paid workers who rely on the steady employment and benefits that public sector jobs often provide.
Erosion of Worker’s Rights:
Privatisation weakens workers’ ability to collectively bargain for better wages and working conditions.
This can lead to a decline in worker’s rights and protections, making low-paid workers more vulnerable to exploitation.
Increased Inequality:
The focus on profit in privatised services can lead to a widening gap between executive pay and the wages of frontline workers.
This exacerbates existing income inequality and can make it even harder for low-paid workers to make ends meet.
We have workers delivering services for Barnet Council with no occupational sick pay, no access to a public sector pension scheme to name a few of the gross inequalities that are rife across the private sector.
UNISON represents outsourced workers in Housing, Social Care, Cleaning, Parking Enforcement, Security, Schools Catering and Education and all are being told there is no room for them in the Barnet Council workforce.
UNISON has a National Policy called Bringing Services Home and Barnet UNISON fully supports this aim and will continue to push for a clear plan and timetable for services to be brought back in-house.
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Opening times for UNISON direct over the festive period.
Over £1 million back in the pockets of our lowest paid: School Support Staff
Barnet UNISON is proud to announce that over a five-year period of constant chasing and negotiations we have managed to reach agreements with schools and some employers e.g. Barnet & Southgate College, Capita, ISS, BELS to ensure that Term Time Paid staff received some backdating money they were owed by their employer not using the correct formula to calculate their pay.
Barnet UNISON wants to thank colleagues at London Region and UNISON HQ for supporting the campaign to claw back some of the money that was owed to our members.
The Term Time Pay claim started because of UNISON pursuing several local authorities over their failure to use the correct formula for calculating pay of term time staff in schools.
Barnet UNISON quickly wrote to over 50 schools in Barnet seeking meetings and the opportunity to talks to our members about the campaign. We also discovered some of the outsourced contractors were using an incorrect formula and we pursued those organisations to correct the error and to negotiate back pay.
“As soon as UNISON established that term time only staff (TTO) were being incorrectly paid due to a flawed formula being applied in calculating the amount of holiday pay entitlement members were receiving we commenced on going meetings with management to rectify the situation. After several years of negotiations, we resulted with a positive outcome and agreement that the College would apply a new and correct formula to calculate their holiday pay entitlement. I was pleased to announce to my TTO UNISON members that a settlement had been finally agreed and that all the College’s term time staff would receive back pay to 1 September 2019 ( 3 years) which resulted in approximately £200,000 total back pay deal for TTO staff. I informed my members that this was not compensation, that it was backpay as they had been underpaid for the work that they had already done. This is a good example of why it is important to join UNISON as it provides collective strength and means we can talk to the employer to negotiate and improve conditions in the workplace.” Christalla Tsattala Barnet UNISON rep of members of staff working for Barnet & Southgate College.
“It was a massive team effort across the UNISON family with support and advice from both regional and national colleagues. School support staff are some of the lowest paid members we have in our branch, and they are totally committed to their work and the children they support. It was important that our branch took on this campaign and we would recommend any other UNISON branch thinking of doing the same to go ahead. We are in a cost-of-living crisis which is hurting our low paid members every penny we have helped put back into their pockets makes all the work worthwhile.” John Burgess, Branch Secretary, Barnet UNISON.
Background:
Term Time Pay members meeting – February 2021
https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2021/02/19/term-time-pay-members-meeting/
Update on the Barnet UNISON Term Time Pay Campaign – 2020
https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2020/12/09/update-on-the-barnet-unison-term-time-pay-campaign/
Term Time Pay Drop-in meetings: February 2020
https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2020/02/07/term-time-pay-drop-in-meetings/
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Updated Barnet Council Grades – includes new National Pay Award.
Dear Barnet UNISON member
We can confirm that the National Pay Award has now been formally agreed. This means that Barnet Council workers should receive their new rate of pay and back dating to 1 April 2024 in your November payslip.
If you have worked any overtime since the 1 April 2024, the backdating for this will be paid in December payroll.
If you have any questions, please email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk
The table below are the new Barnet Council grades which include the National Pay increase.
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Any queries please email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk
**Please note the above Grades are based on 36 hour a week contract. Barnet UNISON is waiting for the Term Time Pay figures for the Barnet Grades.
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UNISON National Pay ballot : Frequently Asked Questions 2024
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/
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