Category: UNISON Campaign
news around UNISON campaigns
“Giving With One Hand And Taking With The Other”
Barnet Council Giving With One Hand And Taking With The Other
On January 23rd Barnet Council’s Adults and Safeguarding Committee voted to make cuts of £458,373 to Early Intervention and Prevention Services. These include ending the funding to Inclusion Barnet (a local charity) to provide peer support planning and brokerage, which the Council claim will save £73, 261.5.
The Council’s reason for this is that there is lower level of use for this service than anticipated, and that this work can be done by Barnet Social workers.
This is despite 83% of those consulted, disagreeing with the move.
Yet this is the same Council that is giving Inclusion Barnet between £25, 000 and £35,000 a year to take over the running of East Barnet and South Friern Libraries, despite opposition to this voiced in consultations, petitions and protests since 2014.
Barnet Council are withdrawing funding to a local charity with the necessary expertise. to provide a service well regarded by the public. Yet are giving this organisation, that has no experience of running libraries, funding to replace experienced and qualified library workers. Inclusion Barnet are losing funding to provide a service because of “low level of use” but the libraries the Charity will run will only be open 15 hours a week which will certainly reduce level of use.
There is little logic in this decision but reason is something not to be expected from an administration hell-bent on cutting services and reducing the quality of life of the people of Barnet.
One Day Without Us – 20th February #1DayWithoutUs
2017.02.02 One day without us flyer
Barnet UNISON is asking all of our members (and non-members) to wear the colours (purple and green) to show solidarity with our migrant colleagues and the fantastic work they do with us.
On 20th February we would like also teams and schools to spend some time together to collectively acknowledge our colleagues and show we value our colleagues who have come from other counties to build their lives with us.
Hashtag on Twitter is #1DayWithoutUs
You can watch this short video explaining about One Day Without Us
Join us – I Daniel Blake with Ken Loach
Fight Austerity
Barnet UNISON is proud to be able to screen ‘I Daniel Blake’ in our local community cinema the Phoenix in East Finchley on Tuesday 28 February.
We are absolutely delighted that our long-time supporter Ken Loach has agreed to join a Q & A with DPAC’s Paula Peters, who will be interviewed by Aditya Chakraborrty senior economics commentator for the Guardian.
See flyer and poster for details.Flyer
Useful links
Phoenix Cinema – East Finchley
https://phoenixcinema.co.uk/PhoenixCinema.dll/Home
Accessibility at Phoenix http://phoenixcinema.co.uk/PhoenixCinema.dll/Page?PageID=3&SubListID=1&SubPageID=1
I, Daniel Blake trailers
I, Daniel Blake – Official Trailer I HD I Sundance Selects
Ken Loach: life in austerity Britain is ‘consciously cruel’
barnet_idanielblake_28Feb2017_A5_2ppAditya Chakrabortty https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/19/lives-torn-apart-assets-labour-privatisation-north-london-haringey
Download our poster here
Barnet UNISON sends solidarity & donations to grassroots members in struggle
Last week at our branch executive meeting our reps had a report on a number of grassroots struggles taking place across the UK.
I am proud to say that there was no hesitation in wanting to send solidarity messages and donations to these grassroots campaigns. Our branch has been in ongoing struggles for over a decade. We have had tremendous acts of support and solidarity from UNISON reps and members not just in the London region but right across our union. We have learnt the importance of solidarity.
I can say from experience just how valuable it is to be able to read out messages of solidarity from other grassroots members to members on picket lines. It imbues a feeling of confidence that is badly needed when you are under attack.
Here are the campaigns we sent solidarity and or sent donations.
- Kinsley 3 campaign
- Derby TAs
- Durham TA’s
- Glasgow UNISON members: IT workers and Janitors
- Kirklees Social Workers
- Aslef, RMT, TSSA workers
- PCS members working at the Employment and Human Rights Office
John Burgess
Branch Secretary
Barnet UNISON
Barnet UNISON social media channels – have a look
Stand up to RacismIt has always been important to us that we are able to communicate with our members. Technology is changing so much it can be difficult to keep up. We know a good proportion of our members are reading news on their phones which is why we are trying to ensure we keep our news up to date.
We do use all forms of communications, its never either or in Barnet it’s let do what we can.
We hold UNISON meetings, 1:1’s, produce leaflets, send out our weekly eNEWS email, regularly update our website, text messaging, Facebook and Twitter, produce videos on our You Tube account and upload our pictures on Flickr.
Have a look.
Website: https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/
Twitter: @barnet_unison
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BarnetUNISON/
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/user/branchsec
Barnet UNISON supports NHS workers join us #4MarchNHS
Join the “National Save our NHS demonstration – 4 March”
“The NHS will last as long as there are folk left with faith to fight for it.”
(Nye Bevan)Barnet UNISON loves our NHS and sends solidarity to all NHS workers.
Our branch will be marching and we are encouraging our community to join us.
The NHS is in a serious crisis and NEEDS our support.
Our branch in its own small way is hosting an event on
Saturday 25 February called “Sing your Heart out 4 the NHS”
It will start off with some NHS workers explaining about the attacks the NHS are facing and why we must join the national NHS demonstration on 4 March
Details on our flyer here http://bit.ly/2iooKiL
Several of our Barnet UNISON members will be singing in solidarity for the NHS & all of the staff.
The singers will be supported by the Hit n Run band.
It looks like it will be a great night out so why not join us in solidarity for the NHS.
Saturday 25 February 2017, 8pm to 12am
Venue: Midland Hotel, 29 Station Road,
Hendon, London NW4 4PN
Farewell Anaclet Kofi – We miss you already
“We had sad news early this week with the announcement of the death of one of our reps: Anaclet Kofi. He was known as being quiet and unassuming yet this is to be contrasted with the fact that with the help of the branch he organised traffic wardens (old term – new term: civil enforcement officers) to take strike action opposing outsourcing, and he spoke on a number of times at UNISON conference addressing up to 2,000 people. All of this with English as a third language! Frances O’Grady (TUC General Secretary) said the pressure on wages is not from migrant workers but unorganised workers and Anaclet certainly understood this and he organised. He will be missed.”
Helen Davies Barnet UNISON Branch Chair
“Last week I learnt that we lost a good Barnet UNISON comrade Anaclet Kofi. I have spent a few hours combing through our vast photograph database to find some pictures of Anaclet. He was a very active rep in our branch and was part of the heroic team of reps who had to deal with the mass outsourcing here in Barnet dating back to 2008.
He also worked in Parking and personally expereinced a number of very serious incidents whilst carrying out his job yet he always seemed able to maintain a calmness and a smile.
Anaclet will be sorely missed, not just by his family, but by his former work colleagues, and those of us who had the good fortune to work with him in Barnet UNISON.
Anaclet attended a number of UNISON conferences, he was never daunted by the prospect of addressing 2,000 delegates in order that he could speak about what was happening here in Barnet.
Analcet did not need any union training to understand solidarity he had it naturally. He understood why we marched not just here in Barnet but on other demonstrations and rallies. He was an active part of Barnet UNISON mobilising and organising and representing members in what is a very difficult workplace.
Along with the many photographs I found a short video clip of Anaclet speaking about why he was taking part in the National Pension Strike which you can listen to here.
It is nice to hear his voice. This is the friendly and helpful Anaclet we will all remember.
It is his funeral on Saturday 28 January at 10 am at Islington and Camden Cemetery (East Finchley) 278, High Road, East Finchley. London N2 9AG
After the burial, a light refreshment will be offered from 14:00 till 19:30 at The Kings Cross Baptist Church, Vernon Square, Kings Cross, London WC1X 9EP
Anaclet Kofi RIP.”
John Burgess, Branch Secretary, Barnet UNISON.
