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/
End.
Barnet UNISON NSL members time to end the cycle of low pay!
The Impact of Low Pay on Workers
Low pay is a significant issue affecting our outsourced members. When wages do not meet basic living standards, our low paid members face numerous challenges that can have long-lasting effects on their well-being and quality of life. The call by Barnet UNISON for a campaign to increase the minimum wage to £15 per hour is not just a matter of financial fairness but a necessity to ensure dignity and stability for our members who deliver public services on behalf of Barnet Council.
Financial Strain
Many of our outsourced members are earning less than £15 per hour struggle to cover essential expenses like housing, food, healthcare, and transportation. This financial strain often leads to debt accumulation as individuals are forced to rely on credit to make ends meet. Over time, this cycle of debt can become crippling, limiting opportunities for economic growth and social mobility.
Health and Well-being
Living under constant financial pressure can have detrimental effects on mental and physical health. Stress from trying to manage limited resources can lead to anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. Additionally, our outsourced members on low pay may not be able to afford healthcare, leading to untreated medical conditions and poorer overall health.
Limited Opportunities
Low wages often mean that outsourced members are unable to invest in education or skills development, which limits their career advancement opportunities. This lack of investment in personal growth can result in workers being trapped in low-paying jobs, perpetuating the cycle of poverty and limiting their potential to achieve a better quality of life.
Why our Barnet UNISON Pay Campaign is Essential
1. Economic Fairness
A campaign to raise the minimum wage to £15 per hour is a step toward economic fairness. It ensures that outsourced members receive compensation that reflects the true cost of living and acknowledges their contributions to the economy. Fair pay helps bridge the gap between different socioeconomic groups, fostering a more equitable society.
2. Boosting the Economy
Increasing wages can lead to a stronger economy. When our outsourced members have more disposable income, they tend to spend more on goods and services, stimulating demand and encouraging business growth. Additionally, higher wages can lead to increased productivity and job satisfaction, which benefits both employees and employers.
3. Improving Quality of Life
By raising the minimum wage, we can significantly improve the quality of life for many of our outsourced members and their families. A higher income allows individuals to afford better housing, healthcare, education, and other necessities, contributing to overall well-being and a more stable society.
4. Conclusion
The push for a minimum wage of £15 per hour is more than a financial issue; it’s a campaign for dignity, fairness, and opportunity. By addressing the challenges faced by our outsourced low-paid members, we can create a more just and prosperous society where everyone has the chance to thrive.
If you want to be part of this campaign, first join UNISON by clicking on the link below
https://join.unison.org.uk/
Once you are a member come along to the Barnet UNISON NSL meeting on Thursday 16 January 2025 at 6.30 pm.
End.
Barnet UNISON Xmas meeting 18 December 5.45 am
outsourcing must end
“Three Chief Executives and one plumber”: The unfinished story
Week One of Barnet Council redundancy consultation has ended with six restructures across the Council with more to follow next week.
Barnet UNISON has published several articles where we believe there are savings to be made before any services are stopped or staff dismissed.
Please see the articles published to date below.
UPDATED: Barnet Council the Tale of “Three Chief Executives and one plumber”
No stone left unturned” Number 1: Update on Barnet Council Agency Spend.
“No stone left unturned” Number 2: CEO The Barnet Group & Plumber with oncosts.
“No stone left unturned” Number 3: Does it make sense to have a Barnet Council CEO & CEO The Barnet Group.
“No stone left unturned” Number 4: What about the senior management review?
“No stone left unturned” What is The Barnet Group (TBG)? Number 5: Part One
https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/11/15/part-one-who-is-the-barnet-group/
“No stone left unturned” What is The Barnet Group (TBG)? Number 6: Part Two
https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/11/15/9925/
“No stone left unturned” What is The Barnet Group (TBG)? Number 7: Part Three
https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/11/15/part-three-who-is-the-barnet-group/
“No stone left Unturned No 8: “Fixing the foundations or looking after corporate big businesses?”
No stone left unturned No 9: Bah Humbug “Withdrawal of Tea and Coffee.
“No stone left unturned” Number 10: Barnet Homes the elephant in the room.
“No stone left unturned” Number 11: We got to talk Capita
https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/12/04/no-stone-left-unturned-number-11-we-got-to-talk-capita/
“No stone left unturned” Number 12: Service Pressures
https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/12/04/no-stone-left-unturned-number-12-service-pressures/
“No stone left unturned” Number 13: Economies of scale.
https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/12/10/no-stone-left-unturned-number-13-economies-of-scale/
End.
Red Card: Street Scene workers underpaid again!
Thanks to the due diligence of our incredible UNISON Street Scene Convenor, over 200 manual workers are to receive payment next Friday because of another payroll error.
Quite frankly it is not good enough.
Our manual workers should not have to put up with this poor performance. This is not the first time our members have been underpaid.
Each time this happens it has a negative impact on morale of a workforce that is already stressed out due to the ongoing cost of living crisis and undermines trust and confidence in the payroll service.
Barnet UNISON is asking for the following:
- A memo issued to the workforce apologising for the underpayment.
- A commitment from HR and or Payroll that someone is available on pay day to answer questions/queries e.g. the memo could include that someone is available next Friday 20 December 2024.
End.
Barnet UNISON eNews 11 December 2024
“No stone left unturned” Number 13: Economies of scale.
Day two of redundancy consultation across the Council workforce and still no responses from the employer to the UNISON proposals where the Council could and should be taking control of its spend.
This article is about economies of scale and how they could make savings which could prevent redundancies and service cuts.
Read on.
30 years ago, there was on Council with one Chief Executive and a smaller senior management team.
It was a larger Council because all the services that are currently outsourced such as Housing (Barnet Homes) Social Care (Your Choice Barnet) Parking Enforcement (NSL), School Catering (ISS), Cleaning (Norse) Education Services for Schools (BELS) Customer Services, Revs and Bens, Payroll, IT (Capita) used to be part of the Councils workforce.
12 years ago, Barnet Council under the Tories Administration created a Local Authority Trading Company (LATC) which is 100% owned by Barnet Council.
They named it The Barnet Group (TBG).
The purpose of the company was to exploit workers by using their labour to provide essential services but deny those workers of the terms and conditions of a Council worker including the right to join the council Pension Scheme.
There are two companies within TBG. Barnet Homes and Your Choice Barnet.
In 2020, Barnet Council created another LATC for education services for schools called Barnet Education and Learning Skills (BELS) following the contract failure of a contractor who pulled out during Covid.
Both these LATCs are owned by Barnet Council.
The UNISON economies of scale proposal were for Barnet Council to conduct a review of back office services across all three organisations.
UNISON knows from some simple research published in our article “No stone left unturned” Number 10: Barnet Homes the elephant in the room. https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/12/04/no-stone-left-unturned-number-10-barnet-homes-the-elephant-in-the-room/ that savings were inevitable with the ending of the outsourced Housing Services. UNISON has continued to campaign for an end to the appalling employment practices of both organisations by bringing services in-house which is in line with UNISONs National Policy ‘Bringing Services Home’.
If the Council is determined to maintain the two organisations it at the very least should end the waste in terms of running three back offices and run only one.
Whilst the deliberate underfunding of Councils rests solely with Tory Governments there are still opportunities for Barnet Council to take responsibility for things they do control, and this is one of them.
Barnet UNISON is now representing members across the workforce who are at risk of redundancy. In redundancy consultations the employer must demonstrate they are making all efforts to control spend to avoid redundancy.
To date we have not heard anything back.
End.