Barnet UNISON

Dear Councillor

Please find enclosed Briefing Number 4 (to view click here)

This briefing is closer to home and raises issues on the ability of the council to monitor a contract effectively. The key message is to do so you need sufficient resources. It is clear from reading the Council Committee reports that this contract has not delivered to the satisfaction of residents or the council and it has also brought a financial risk which has led to the Council transferring £2,101,000 earmarked reserves.

If you wish to read a more detailed report on the above contract please click on the link here

I hope you will take time to read our briefings, furthermore if you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best wishes

John Burgess

Branch Secretary.

Barnet UNISON

Dear Councillors

 

Please find enclosed UNISON briefing 3 (to view click here) which provides some recent information on a Joint venture in Conservative run Somerset Council.

 

I have been following Southwest One for more than five years. No doubt councillors and senior officers were provided the best legal advice from lawyers and consultants about drafting a contract which would protect the interests of local tax payers.

 

I would like to leave you with the words of the former Conservative leader of Somerset Council of Ken Maddock speaking at a Council Budget fixing meeting earlier this year:

“We need a council that can cope with future government cuts and rising demand.

“Sadly, Southwest One is failing. It is failing to deliver promised savings; failing to cope with a changing financial landscape; failing to be flexible enough to adapt in challenging times and provide the best possible value for money.

 

I am sure somerset council tax payers will not understand why their council tax payments are being wasted on expensive litigation when the Council did have the choice to deliver these services & savings themselves.  

 

Best wishes

John Burgess

Branch Secretary.

Barnet UNISON

0208 359 2088

www.barnetunison.me.uk

Barnet UNISON “Watch it & Share it”

Barnet UNISON Facebook

Barnet UNISON Twitter

Defend Our Pensions

 

Thanks to excellent work of cartoonist Tim Sanders UNISON can now provide comic strip of the video showing Barnet resident Mr Cam Paign scoring full marks on his chosen subject One Barnet with no passes.

Do you fancy a go?

To view comic strip click here

Newly Created Local Authority Trading Company hits Financial Difficulties

The Your Choice (Ltd) LATC (colleagues in the services formally provided in Adults Services) has just revealed to the unions it is projecting a deficit for the close of the financial year of £700,000. This is over 3 times the projected deficit forecast in the Business Case. UNISON always queried the evidence for the Business Case for setting up the LATC and so this news is, whilst not surprising, is still extremely disappointing. In other words it would have been good to report UNISON’s basis for scepticism was unfounded.

There will be consultations involving our members and the unions. UNISON will want to meet with as many member groups as possible. Talk to your reps about setting up meetings.

As a result of the talks UNISON sought clarification from the senior manager responsible for Your Choice (Ltd) with regards the savings reported in the business case which went to Council committee in January 2012

The Business case reported the following:

 “6.33 Savings

6.34 There is a requirement within the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for Adults Social Care to make a £200,000 saving in 2012/13 in respect of the Local Authority Trading Company. The analysis above shows that the Local Authority Trading Company will not generate this saving until 2013/14, so Adults Social Care will fund this cost for 2012/13, but will also make a greater surplus from 2014/15 onwards.”

UNISON is asking is asking if the £700,000 predicted shortfall solely refers to the LATC losses with additional £200,000 savings expected from adults social services as required under the Medium Terms Financial Strategy

UNISON members living in Barnet are taking up concerns about One Barnet with their local councillors.

In September there are a number events taking place at councillor surgeries.

You can view the details of surgeries here

Two simple things you can do

1. You can lobby your local councillor on line by clicking on the link here and just follow the instructions

2. Sign this petition here

For those staff not being outsourced Barnet Council has plans for you. Next Thursday the Remuneration Committee is meeting to discuss implementation of another One Barnet policy you can view the reports here

Not content with sending the majority of the workforce to the private sector and the redundancies which have inevitably followed they are now seeking to impose a grading scheme which we believe in a reduction in pay. Since 2009 pay has fallen by 13% and is now more than 10% below where it was in 1996

The headlines are the coming away from national pay bargaining, No automatic increments and changing the scheme which grades council posts.

Judging from previous failure of the Council to genuinely engage in meaningful consultation with the workforce & trade unions on One Barnet we are asking members to attend a branch meeting on Tuesday 25 September 12 pm in Conference Room 1 Food & Refreshments will be provided

 The council are seeking to reach a collective agreement with UNISON on theser proposals it is important that our members provide feedback on what your key demands are.

Barnet Council have decreed that social workers (Adults & Children’s) will have to pay the increased social work accreditation (£78) to the new quango called Health Professions Council (HPC). When social workers registration began the branch negotiated a deal whereby the Council paid the registration fees.  The branch position is to oppose and demand the Council continue to honour its contractual commitment to reimburse staff their registration fees.

The branch needs has organised a meeting on Wednesday 12 September from 12 –1pmin training room 6 Building 2, NLBP for ALL social workers across Children’s and Adults to gauge the views of our members. We will then conduct an inline ballot of their views before reporting back to the Council

Dear Councillors

 

Please find enclosed Briefing Number 2 (to view click here)

 

The briefing concerns a proposal in Cornwall Council for the creation of a Joint Venture for services similar those in the One Barnet NSCSO bundle.

 

Events have overtaken the production of this Briefing so for transparency I have included the latest news items which reveal that the Cabinet are going ahead.

 

Links to articles on Cornwall outsourcing

 

1. Part-privatisation of Cornish council services ‘will not be reversed’

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-19489594

 

2. This breathtaking arrogance will be paid for at next year’s elections

 

http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/lettersandcomment/skipper/9915119.This_breathtaking_arrogance_will_be_paid_for_at_next_year_s_elections/

 

3. Cabinet ignores vote by council

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/Cabinet-ignores-vote-council/story-16836691-detail/story.html

 

4. Cabinet decision ‘not in the best interests of the people’

http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Cabinet-decision-best-interests-people/story-16826037-detail/story.html

 

I hope you will take time to read our briefings, furthermore if you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.

 

Best wishes

John Burgess

Branch Secretary.

Barnet UNISON

0208 359 2088

www.barnetunison.me.uk

Barnet UNISON “Watch it & Share it”

Barnet UNISON Facebook

Barnet UNISON Twitter

Defend Our Pensions

 

 

To view background to the claim click here