Barnet Alliance meeting Nick Grant on Academies
First of a number of videos from the Barnet Alliance meeting.
Nick Grant (NUT) speaking on Academies
click here
Barnet Public meeting a “massive success”
Over 200 staff and residents came down to the public meeting.
This evening marked the begining of the Barnet Alliance for Public Services. It is an Alliance between trade union and the residents.
We heard four excellent speakers talk about the serious attacks staff and residents will be soon facing.
The mood of the meeting was overwhelmingly defiant and eager to take on the challenge.
The First Alliance meeting is next
Wednesday 29 September in South Friern Library at 6 pm.
More details on the evening will be posted later.
Future Shape Programme – Audit expose
Tuesday 21 September – Audit Committee report
Item 9 One Barnet: Review of Governance Arrangements
You can view the report online here
The First Recommendation reveals the Council
- Does not have a business case for the One Barnet Programme.
- Does not have any evidence of planned benefits or planned outcomes of the programme
- Does not have an estimated cost of the programme
- Does not have an overview of the overall timescales of the programme including key milestones
- Does not have a high level risk profile
The Future Shape Programme is over two years old we spent over £2.5 million to consultants in the first two phases and now we are looking to invest more money for another bunch of consultants.
In these times of Austerity we must stop handing over public money to consultants who do not deliver. If Consultants are not prepared to forego a large part of their fee on the understanding that it will only be paid if their recommendations deliver value for money to the Council; then we shouldn’t employ them.
I am tired/frustrated reading reports from consultants waxing lyrical about different models of delivery with little or no evidence to substantiate their claims. Furthermore I know they will be long gone when the organisation finds out it has been sold a pup!
Who pays…..?
It is the tax payer. Public services are funded by taxes we all pay and that included public sector workers.
After all, in Barnet we are all familiar with local examples of privatisation successes failures: Icelandic Banks,
More to follow….
How can the Future Shape Programme where the stakes are so high not have all the recommendations set out in the Audit report in place before any decisions are made about the future of council services?
Lobby of Barnet Council
Connaught workers – Out- in- Out- In!
Last week Connaught workers were sacked by a conference call. This was as a result of news last week that Connaught plc and its subsidiary, Connaught Partnerships Limited, which comprises its Social Housing Division were going into administration.
On Tuesday 14 September staff attended a meeting with Barnet Homes and Lovells partnerships a subsidiary of Morgan Sindall. The good news was that they did have a job and all their terms and conditions would be transferred over. They were told that they had been sent redundancy notices in error.
· Members left the meeting happy they had a job.
6pm last night Connaught members at the lobby saw an email from KPMG saying that they had not been transferred and they were redundant.
You can imagine how much distress this caused our members. Emails, phone calls were made last night to find out what was going on.
Late. late last night I emailed KPMG demanding to know what is going on.
This morning I spoke to KPMG. They explained that they had not been informed that Barnet Connaught staff were to be transferred to Lovells Partnership hence the redundancy notices were sent.
I asked KPMG if they receive official notification from Lovells Partnership that Barnet staff were to be TUPE transferred, would they rescind the redundancy notice and support the TUPE transfer?
They said yes.
I have now been in direct contact with Barnet Homes and Lovell Partnerships and they have already sent information to KPMG.
I understand that Lovells Partnership are in the process of sending a communication to staff informing them they are being TUPE transferred and they are going to be paid.
I expect our members will still not believe the news until they have something in writing, but who could blame them after the week they have had!
I am sure all Barnet UNISON members (not Connaught workers) are probably shaking their heads in disbelief and will want me to pass on their best wishes to the Connaught workers.
Calling all Barnet College UNison Meeting
UNISON members are invited to the following meetings
Tuesday 28 September 12– 2pm, Venue Multi Purpose room, Room No FG07,Wood Street Campus
Thursday 30 September,12– 2pm, Venue, Lecture Theatre 1, Grahame Park
£17 F***ing million…..sums up privatisation for you!
Incredible but true if you click on this link you can read this question going to the Full Council.
How could they justify trying to take £17 million from Barnet Council! I am not surprised, but when will councillors wake up to understand the risks to the public purse!
Read the Question below:
Question 47 Councillor Barry Rawlings
What is the latest update on the Catalyst arbitration?
Answer by Councillor Daniel Thomas
The Council received the final partial arbitral award on 26 July 2010. The value of the award to Catalyst is not yet finalised, but a range of £5m to £6m is anticipated, against a claim of between £12-17m.
A detailed report will be considered by Cabinet Resources Committee on 19 October on the implications of the outcome of the arbitration process.
The Council is seeking to enter into a renegotiation of this contract which was created by the previous Labour/Liberal Democrat administration. The renegotiation will be led by the Deputy Chief Executive and Acting Director of Adult Social Services, to manage on-going financial and service delivery risks.
So a new contract means the Council will be looking at a number of Options. One of which will include bringing back what is left of the service in-house.
Barnet UNISON will be launching a campaign to return the service back in-house.
Interesting timing as I saw this article about Fremantle who are the partners with Catalyst.
Barnet Connaught workers sacked by Conference call!
This morning I spoke to an angry and tearful Barnet UNISON rep for the former council workers contracted out to Connaught’s.
Late last night staff were sacked by Conference call. They are shocked angry and don’t know what this means.
UNISON is seeking urgent talks with Chief Executive Barnet Homes.
This is yet further proof of what working in the private sector means…..Future Shape….
John Burgess Branch Secretary of Barnet UNISON condemned the action and is calling on Barnet Homes and Barnet Council to do the right thing and take back these loyal workers.