Barnet UNISON

A number of former Council Homecare workers with Housing 21 are in the process of being TUPE’d from Housing 21 to one of four private sector home care agencies for a one year contract only. In 2011 they are due to be TUPE’d again for a third time when Barnet Council reduces the number of provider agencies. 

Our members, some of whom have up to 20 years service to residents of Barnet, face an uncertain employment future through no fault of their own.

As a result of the reduction in size of the contract, 6 office staff including managers were made redundant.

This is more evidence of the detrimental impact of the ideological war that is being waged against public sector workers, resulting in continuing deterioration of their terms and conditions.

The Connaught Saga is I hope coming to an end. The issue about redundancy was resolved a long time hence and I am pleased to report that the new contractor Lovells has confirmed in writing that they will be seeking to have “Admitted Body Status” thus enabling these former council workers to remain in the Pension Scheme.

The only remaining issue which I have been attempting to resolve is the non–payment of overtime worked for Connaught’s throughout the summer. The new contractor Lovells took on responsibility from 1 September & any payments before this date had to be claimed from KPMG the liquidators for Connaught’s.

It is important to note that we are not talking about a relatively large sum of money for a big organisation. The amount in total owed to our members is less than £13,000. However the overtime payments due to our members does mean a lot to them and in light of the difficult times ahead every penny counts.

Our members wrote to KPMG. KPMG have written back explaining that they must go back to Lovells.

I will not let this matter drop until every worker has been paid.

On Tuesday 3 November the Trade Unions published a report entitled “Critique of the Development and Public Health Services Options Appraisal One Barnet Programme London Borough of Barnet” detailing serious and fundamental flaws with this project. The report was produced by Professor Dexter Whitfield, Director, European Services Strategy Unit with contributions from our members working in the services included in this project.

The reports states:

“The report contains many sweeping assumptions that are not supported by facts, empirical evidence or case study experience.”

“The Council has not obtained value for money from this consultancy contract on the basis of the scope and quality of the options appraisal.”

To read the full report click here

This is an excellent piece of work which I hope all UNISON branches will use to counter the propaganda that we must attack public services and those in need of public services

to view click here

Ex Barnet senior Manager Roger Jones now working for Ealing Council is in the process of bringing Highways Services back in-house. Multi national company Mouchel are currently providing the service but the contract comes to an end early next year.

 

The news that this service is returning in-house and can deliver savings of almost £1 million a year is clearly at odds with the anti in-house message staff are witnessing here in the Council.

 

Click here to read the Service Improvement Plan which went to Committee earlier this year.

Barnet UNISON members

 

Super Council?

You would have woken up to news of a proposed merger of London Councils into a Super Council promising savings of £100 million a year!….I listened to the Leader of Hammersmith Council and did not hear the Private Sector mentioned once!

 

I will report on this proposal after obtaining details from the three UNISON branches involved, after all it is important to drill down and study the details of any Press headlines.

 

SouthWestOne – Somerset

Two weeks ago I sent round details of another Strategic partnership failure in Liverpool. As Strategic Partnerships are the basis on which easyCouncil will be delivered please read on:

 

I am forwarding an article which appeared in the Local Government Chronicle today. Many of you will have seen the Southwest One ITV West documentary made 18 months ago detailing the IBM takeover of services in Somerset. The project was beset with controversy.

 

Somerset UNISON fought a campaign to expose the secrecy surrounding this Project and surprise surprise the branch secretary was suspended for almost six months. I am pleased to report he is back in the UNISON office.

 

For those of you who saw the ITV West documentary will know the project was shrouded in secrecy and very few people actually saw the Business Case for the Project. I have a copy of the documentary if anyone would like to view it.

 

Bridgewater MP Ian Liddell-Grainger (Con) has been campaigning against Southwest One for over two years and fought hard to try to gain access to the Business Case.

 

I imagine Somerset County Lib-Dem councillors wish they had demanded to see the Business Case as the Lib-Dem’s were later ousted by the Conservatives in the last elections.

 

Interestingly a contingent from SouthwestOne paid a visit to Barnet during the summer. I don’t know what they discussed but after viewing this latest news I really, really hope they haven’t been advising Barnet Council on the benefits of partnerships with the Private Sector

 

Professor Dexter Whitfield was the consultant providing expert advice for Somerset UNISON Branch. Dexter said at the time “The Somerset strategic partnership with IBM was a classic example of ideologically driven outsourcing. Somerset UNISON warned about the declining level of savings and higher contract management costs. The increasing annual losses of the joint venture company serve to illustrate the high risks involved in these contracts.”

Dexter has and continues to provide expert advice for the branch.

Take a look at this report From Local Government Chronicle

Somerset joint venture loses £16m in its first year

21 October 2010 | By Ruth Keeling

A controversial joint venture between Somerset’s councils, police force and IBM has made a multi-million pound loss for the second year running.

Southwest One posted an operating loss of £16.1m in its second year of operation, according to accounts lodged with Companies House earlier this month.

The 2008-09 accounts state that the loss – a significant increase on the £2m it lost in its first year – “was larger than originally budgeted” because its investment period had to be extended and because it failed to attract new customers. A credit facility from parent company IBM means it will continue to operate for the “foreseeable future”, according to the accounts.

The joint venture was set up in September 2007 by IBM, who own three-quarters of the company, and Somerset CC and Taunton Deane BC to provide back office services including HR, finance, estates management and IT. Avon and Somerset Police later joined the partnership but it has been dogged by arguments from the first.

Most recently, it emerged that the two councils would be fined because of the extra checks that the Audit Commission had to make on their accounts prepared by the firm. Taunton Deane said it would pay its £15,000 charge itself while Somerset CC, whose leader is currently considering an internal review of the Southwest One contract, said it would pass the charge on to the company.

The contract, worth £585m over 10 years to the company, was set up with the aim of finding efficiencies for the three customers, although those savings have been downgraded from the £200m originally quoted to £144m “pipeline” savings listed in the most recent accounts.

In a statement, Southwest One emphasised that the 2008-09 figures were “a reflection that first of a kind ventures like this require up-front investment in the early stages” and stated that there had been no negative impact on the service. In fact, it added, a new customer contact centre had call waiting times for residents.

Southwest One’s accounts blamed its failure to attract new partners on the “adverse UK economic environment, coupled with a high degree of political uncertainty”.

However, the company said it was in discussion with a number of potential customers and argued that the spending review and the communities secretary’s enthusiasm for shared services would provide “significant opportunities”.

It stated: “South West One, as a pioneer in this field, is ideally-placed to help public bodies respond to this challenge”.

But Bridgewater MP Ian Liddell-Grainger (Con) branded the partnership a “failure” and questioned whether they would have any success in attracting new partners. “They’re such a tarnished outfit that short of changing their name there is no point in talking to anybody,” he said.

Somerset CC said it had no further comment to that provided by Southwest One.

Private Eye reported the same story with a little extra

 

They included a report that Somerset Council are making £75 million in cuts and have issued 1,500 redundancies…..it still amazes me why some people don’t understand why staff and residents are not worried about easyCouncil.