Category: UNISON Campaign

news around UNISON campaigns

Emergency Cost of Living Crisis meeting

Anti - Racism, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, COVID 19, Health and Safety, Schools, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign, Your Choice Barnet

Dear members

The Cost Of Living Crisis is real and it we need a plan to defend and support our members.

 

  • UK Big Six energy firms made more than £1bn in profit
  • £40bn profits for BP and Shell
  • Petrol and diesel prices are the highest ever and it’s likely to get higher
  • The worst financial squeeze in 60 years, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
  • Food prices rising
  • Food banks usage increasing
  • Rent rises, council tax increases, mortgages rising, water bills increasing.

All of this and yet

  • MPs are getting a £2,200 pay rise when most of our members are only getting 1.75%
  • The Government gave £37 billion for the Covid Test and Trace.
  • The Government were handing out million-pound contracts to their mates during the pandemic
  • Finally, the Government worked from home whilst many of our frontline members had to go into work without a vaccine in order to keep public services running.
  • And let’s not forget the wine and cheese parties.

Barnet UNISON is calling a meeting of all of our members to listen to our members and discuss and agree a plan of action.

We want to hear real live experiences from our members.

  • What is worrying you?
  • What do you think your employer should be doing to help you?

The meeting is on Wednesday 30 March from 6- 7pm

Please see details for joining the meeting below.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85415771085?pwd=aWVmVEdTcHdaT2hHa3BPZzV4UEQ0dz09

Meeting ID: 854 1577 1085

Passcode: 876061

End.

Barnet UNISON

How to support Ukraine

Local, National, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

UNISON is working with the international trade union movement to mobilise support for those affected by the war in Ukraine – and branches and members can help too

No one can fail to be moved by the scenes of terrified civilians taking shelter underground or of the hundreds of thousands of women and children desperately trying to cross the border to safety, to an uncertain future as a refugee.

UNISON immediately condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine last week and has called for Russian troops to withdraw to allow meaningful peace talks to go ahead.

The union has reached out in solidarity to public service unions in Ukraine whose members are on the frontline trying to save lives as civilian casualties rise. Workers and ordinary people in both Ukraine and Russia are the victims of this war, not the perpetrators.

It has today agreed to donate £10,000 to an appeal by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

It is also talking to our European and international union federations, EPSU and PSI, about how we can practically support those unions and Ukrainian public service workers.

Europe is facing a major refugee crisis. As most European countries have opened their borders to refugees from Ukraine, the UK’s own government is shamefully still putting up significant administrative barriers to prevent refugees arriving in the UK.

And it is not just Ukrainians who are trying to get out. Thousands of migrant workers and students from around the world are caught up in the chaos and there have been disturbing reports of racial discrimination against them by border guards, which UNISON condemns.

How you can help

UNISON branches and members have been asking how they can help. The ITUC has launched an appeal to support the Ukrainian trade union movement and ordinary workers in Ukraine.

Click on link below to find out more

https://www.unison.org.uk/news/article/2022/03/how-to-support-ukraine/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=March%20U%20digital&utm_source=Communications&utm_content=How%20to%20support%20Ukraine

UNISON Official Ballot is on for “ASSIST” Workers to take Strike Action

ASSIST, Austerity, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Health and Safety, Local, News, Solidarity, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign

 

UNISON is balloting the ASSIST workers this week the result of the ballot will be announced 16 March.

  • ASSIST provides this vital support to some 5,000 residents in Barnet and in Brent.
  • For the lack of £160,000 a year the service is on notice that it is to be outsourced. UNISON has agreed to back these workers and will ballot all of them for official strike action.
  • The Assist service, amongst other things, provides and maintains equipment to 5,000 mainly elderly residents of Barnet.

The most common of these items is the “lifeline” equipment which a resident would use if they fell. The resident would pull a cord or press a button on a pendant alarm which activates in the call centre and a decision is taken about whether someone from ASSIST needs to contact emergency services, a relative or go out themselves to emergencies. This support often makes the difference between someone being able to continue living at home or having to go into residential care.

During the Covid Pandemic the ASSIST service was rightly described as the “4th Emergency Service” by senior managers in The Barnet Group.

“Last Autumn we had the debacle of 74 care workers being given redundancy due to the closure of Apthorp Care Centre and now this! This service is so cheap to run and so valuable to thousands of residents of Barnet – it beggars belief that once again the lives of key workers are being thrown up in the air as soon as the crisis is over. We want Barnet Council and The Barnet Group which are essentially one and the same thing, to do the right thing and find a way forward which benefits residents and keeps a valued service in Barnet.” (Helen Davies, Branch Chair Barnet UNISON.)

“Keyworkers who were rightly praised by their managers are now rewarded for their hard work with outsourcing. At a time when Barnet Council are bringing services back in-house from Capita how can this valued service not been treated the same. If Human Resources, Finance, Recruitment, are needed back in-house why isn’t the ASSIST service being given the same treatment? I call upon Barnet Council to take back this service in-house and provide peace of mind for the 5,000 residents and the inspirational ASSIST workers who care so much about the service they provide.” (John Burgess Branch Secretary Barnet UNISON).

“The Assist workers have the full backing of Greater London UNISON for your dispute. You provide a vital service which enables vulnerable people to stay in their homes safe in the knowledge someone will respond quickly in an emergency. It’s a no brainer that your service benefits and supports the work of social care and the NHS. We want you to win and will support you all the way.” (Tracey Dalling Regional Secretary Greater London UNISON.)

End.

Note to Editors: Contact details: Helen Davies Barnet UNISON on or 020 8359 2088 or email: contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

Background:

  1. For more details on the ASSIST service and Barnet UNISON response click on our link below Barnet UNISON Response to Barnet Homes ASSIST Proposal

Street Scene Pension Surgery Tuesday 22 February 2022

Austerity, News, Pensions, Report, UNISON Campaign

Barnet UNISON have negotiated the provision of a Pension Surgery for staff working in Street Scene on Tuesday 22 February 2022.

The surgery will take place in the depot online in a room booked in the main office.

Jakub UNISON Street Scene Convenor will be available to accompany members.

You will receive an email and a memo from your supervisor as to how to book a meeting.

Surgeries will be from:

6- 7.30 am

11 to 1 pm

For further assistance please email Barnet UNISON on contactus@barnetunison.org.uk or leave a message on 0208 359 2088

End.

Street Scene Payroll surgery 2 February 2022

Austerity, Local, News, UNISON Campaign

On Wednesday 2 February 2022 an online pay roll surgery will take place for staff working in Street Scene.

There will be two sessions:

 

6 am to 7.30 am.

 

11 am to 1 pm.

 

The Pay roll surgery is for staff who have any issues with their January 2022 Pay slip.

 

If you want to book a time to deal with your pay slip issue, please contact your supervisor and your UNISON rep.

 

For further assistance please email Barnet UNISON on contactus@barnetunison.org.uk or leave a message on 0208 359 2088

 

End.

 

 

 

 

NJC industrial action ballot – England and Wales result

Austerity, National

The ballot of members for industrial action regarding 2021 NJC pay closed today in England and Wales (it remains open in Northern Ireland until 10 February).

 

The final results of the ballot are as follows:

 

70.2% of members voted YES to strike action

29.8% voted NO to strike action

The ballot turnout was 14.5%

 

It is clear that an overwhelming majority of those who voted were prepared to show their anger at the employers’ 1.75% pay offer by taking strike action. However, the turnout result is disappointing, and as you know, we can only take action if we achieve the turnout threshold of 50%.

 

UNISON’s NJC Committee meets next week, on Tuesday 18 January, and will consider next steps – as well as beginning to discuss 2022 pay. In the meantime, we would ask that branches do not post these results on social media, as this could be unhelpful in advance of the NJC Committee making any decisions. We will be writing to members and employers to inform them of the result.

 

We now have some more information about the GMB’s recent indicative ballot on industrial action. GMB have rejected the offer, but without getting the show of support necessary to give confidence that they would get the required mandate for industrial action. They are also now considering their next steps. Unite are currently balloting members for industrial action, and their ballots close on various dates from 17 February.

 

Branches and regions are thanked for all your efforts in campaigning for a ‘yes’ vote for action and maximising turnout. Despite not getting the turnout we needed, we are clear that the vote for action is something we must build on in future campaigns.

 

Contact NJCpay2021@unison.co.uk

End.

ASSIST – the 4th emergency service – to be privatised

ASSIST, Barnet Group, Barnet Homes, Local, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign

 

ASSIST ‘The 4th Emergency Service’

The Barnet Group have put out to tender part or all the services that our colleagues at ASSIST provide.

During the pandemic, Barnet Group management were calling ASSIST the 4th Emergency Service because of the vital services they provide to the most vulnerable in our community.

The service has been starved of investment, deliberately, by both the Barnet Group and the London Borough of Barnet, making it impossible for the service to ‘bid’ for contracts that would ensure the continuation of the service and enable it to expand.

UNISON have been informed that the yearly deficit to keep ASSIST open is £300k – but £140k yearly is the amount of unbilled service that ASSIST provides to the Barnet Group – and would have to be paid to any new provider, should any decide to bid on the tender.

Now LBB and TBG have decided that a new LBB directly funded role is merited in The Barnet Group a new ‘Head of Business Development & Transformation’ in Your Choice Barnet with a salary ‘outside’ of our Job Evaluation process but will be well in excess of £60k per year.

When will The Barnet Group and The London Borough of Barnet learn that it is frontline services to the public that should have priority when it comes to funding, not overpaid consultants?

What is to ‘Develop’ or ‘Transform’ if our services are privatised?

The message to the Barnet Group and the London Borough of Barnet is:

 The only TUPE out of the Barnet Group that is acceptable to ASSIST UNISON members is a TUPE back in to LBB

where the service came from in the first place.

Please send messages of support to ASSIST

via contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

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