Barnet UNISON

Barnet UNISON received notice today that one of our dedicated reps has died. Nicky Mahn worked as an Assessment and Enablement Officer (AEO), formerly titled Community Care Officer. She never hesitated in her support for the union and other workers or hesitated in her support for workers in dispute. She had the biggest heart which meant rather than protect herself, she would want to protect others first. She was a rep for over 20 years.

There is a strong and understandable inclination for colleagues in trouble at work to want to keep it private and deal with it with minimum fuss and attention. However, sometimes a case can highlight a larger injustice and if a colleague agrees then we can turn their issue into a campaign to expose the injustice at hand and improve matters such that no other colleague has to go through the same. Nicky understood this and in 2017 agreed, along with her colleagues, that what she was being targeted for, needed to be campaigned about. In essence her case was the way in which colleagues generally were being told to pump out the work and accept allocations with scant regard for whether it was realistic to complete all the necessary recording of actions.

Nicky avoided being dismissed thanks to this campaign and her part in it.

There is an echo in this issue within the Mental Health strike today and of course Nicky supported this dispute as much as she could before she went off sick.
Much more could be said about Nicky but hopefully this conveys a snapshot of the essence of her and what her loss means to our movement.

Our condolences to her family and colleagues. Nicky Mahn RIP.

Click on the above image to read this weeks eNews

Thanks Southend UNISON for your solidarity message below:

Hi Barnet

Apologies this is late I have been ill as have others– Tuesday we had one of our festive socials and donated our raffle prize £80  plus an extra £200 (to be ratified at the executive.)

in  solidarity to Barnet social workers and applaud their on going, solid fight. Making a brilliant stand against the miserly bosses

There were over 40 of our members applauding and agreeing to send this money as they know how important this strike is, it’s a strike highlighting  the serious pressure  Social workers have to  work under, with reduced resources reduced pay and yet higher case loads.

The photo is a clear message that this branch stands in solidarity with Barnet MHSW   and will continue to support where we can

Respect to Barnet Strikers!”

The lowest paid group of workers in The Barnet Group are the workers who will go through the whole of 2023 without an increase in pay. This is thanks to a decision by The Barnet Group to pay the London Living Wage increase in May 2024. Barnet Council could end this terrible state of affairs by agreeing to make payments to The Barnet Group which would enable the London Living Wage to be paid immediately. However, between two employers which can afford 2 Chief Executives, duplicate staffing of directors and support services, they have decided to withhold this money to balance the books.

It’s good to know Barnet Council is continuing a well-trodden path of making the poorest pay the most for a crisis.
Barnet UNISON is meeting with members over the next couple of weeks to hear the views of our members. If you want to be involved in a meeting and don’t know where to go, please write to contactus@barnetunison.org.uk.

Council staff will receive their back-dated pay rise at the end of November. We are hearing that some schools will not be paying the backdate at the same time. We are writing to all Head teachers and our school support staff members to find out what the situation is in  their schools. Please feed back – contactus@barnetunison.org.uk . Do not assume Barnet UNISON knows what is happening in all schools.

Click the above image to read Barnet UNISON eNews 28 November 2023