Category: National
National Campaigns
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.
End.
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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John vote YES for strike action
Barnet UNISON rep vote YES for strike action
Barnet UNISON Black members vote YES for strike action
Barnet UNISON school support staff members vote YES for strike action
National Pay Strike Ballot: What is UNISON doing?
Barnet UNISON members will join 360,000 UNISON members across England and Wales, in a National Pay Strike ballot which opens on 4 September and closes on 16 October.
UNISON advice to all 360,000 members is to VOTE YES for strike action
When can I vote?
Ballot papers will be sent directly to UNISON members’ home addresses. It is important that ALL Barnet UNISON members put a cross in the box and post the ballot back in the envelope provided.
For a successful strike ballot, a trade union must ensure that at least 50% of members have voted.
We know from other trade unions that it is important to contact all our members personally to try and get over the 50% target.
To this end Barnet UNISON will begin work to speak to every one of our members who are being balloted.
- We will be organising meetings in workplaces, schools, children centres, depots, Colindale both in-person and online.
- On Monday 2 September 6.30 pm we are holding an online National Pay meeting to explain about the strike ballot and to take questions.
- We are organising a telephone banking team to try and speak to every member. If you have a message left on your voicemail from Barnet UNISON, please respond back in order we can check you off as having voted. If you receive a text message from UNISON, please respond so we can register you as having voted.
- We will also be sending emails to members asking if they have voted. If you have voted please reply to confirm, if you have not voted or you do not have a ballot paper, please let us know as we can help to have another ballot paper sent out to you.
How much are they offering?
To understand why UNISON is recommending all 360,000 members to VOTE YES for strike action UNISON has produced a helpful online tool which provides each member with clear information that this is another PAY CUT during the worst cost of living crisis in 77 years.
Before you use the online calculator, you will need to know your annual salary. If you don’t know what you earn, please speak to your line manager.
You can access the link using the QR Code ( create QR code for this link but keep link in flyer https://unisonpaycalculator.co.uk/ )
The online calculator provides four bits of financial information.
To help explain how it works we are using an example of a Barnet Council Grade D worker (working full time) and on the bottom of the grade.
- This worker currently earns £28,272.
- Using the UNISON National Pay Calculator this worker will with the current offer will move up to £29,763
- UNISON’s claim was for £3,000 or 10%, whichever was greater.
- The online calculator shows UNISON’s Pay claim would mean another £1,710 for this Grade D worker taking their pay to £31,474.
- Had this Grade D worker’s salary kept up with inflation since 2010, they’d be receiving £35,340.
- UNISON view is being £1,710 worse off is not a pay rise which is why all UNISON members are being advised to VOTE YES for strike action.
Is there enough money?
- The answer is YES.
- The UK is the sixth largest economy in the world.
- We are in the worst cost of living crisis in 77 years
- The number of UK billionaires has gone up by 20% since pandemic.
- MPs will get a pay rise from £86, 584 to £91,346 alongside expenses and subsidised meals.
- 177 billionaires in the UK increased their wealth by £150 billion between 2020-22 (directly benefiting from the pandemic!). Billionaire Britain – Equality Trust.
- Oxfam’s analysis found that the richest 1% of Britons hold more wealth than 70 per cent of Britons, while the four richest Britons have more wealth than 20 million Britons.
- Shell continues to reap the rewards of soaring energy prices, reporting astounding profits of £5.8 billion in Q4 2023 bringing the year’s grand total to £22 billion
- New figures released by the Trussell Trust have also revealed that more than 3.1 million emergency food parcels were provided to people facing hardship between April 2023 and March 2024.
- England’s water firms made £1.7bn in pre-tax profits. This is up 82% since 2018-19, when the same companies made £955m
- Food shopping prices are still rising.
- Rent and/or mortgage payments are still rising.
The Government chooses who they give the money to … and it’s not to public sector workers. The value of public sector pay has fallen by almost 27% which is why we are in this serious cost of living crisis.
End.