{"id":1312,"date":"2015-03-24T17:36:05","date_gmt":"2015-03-24T17:36:05","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2016-05-06T12:02:32","modified_gmt":"2016-05-06T11:02:32","slug":"for-immediate-release-your-choice-barnet-care-workers-now-out-for-3-days","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.barnetunison.me.uk\/wp\/2015\/03\/24\/for-immediate-release-your-choice-barnet-care-workers-now-out-for-3-days\/","title":{"rendered":"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Your Choice Barnet care workers now out for 3 days!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Barnet UNISON Press Release: \u00a024 March 2015\u00a0 <\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:<\/b> YCB care workers now out for 3 days!<\/o:p><\/p>\n

YCB made a cut of 9.5% of the workers\u2019 wages in order to save \u00a3400,000. YCB has now offered the workforce \u00a340,000 as a one-off payment. This is less than \u00a3400 per head of staff. Staff in Supported Living \u2013 the service area which attracted such a poor inspection rating are losing around \u00a3400 per month from this pay cut and loss of their weekend allowances and shift enhancements.<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Our members gave this some consideration but were very underwhelmed by the offer. <\/o:p><\/p>\n

Earlier today Radio Four listeners heard about the appalling practices adopted by <\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cIt gives a breakdown of unpaid travel time for 44 members of staff in the Penarth branch for the week starting 22nd September 2014, and estimates they could be owed as much as \u00a380,000 over three years.**<\/o:p><\/b><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.corporatewatch.org\/care-company-mihomecare-mitie-staff-minimum-wage<\/a><\/o:p><\/p>\n

What is happening in the care sector is exploitation of the worse kind on both the staff and those needing their services. <\/o:p><\/p>\n

This is a direct result of privatisation of care services. <\/o:p><\/p>\n

As a result of this story Councils will be responding to questions as to whether they use this provider and if so how have they been monitoring them. <\/o:p><\/p>\n

On Wednesday 25 March Barnet care workers working for Your Choice Barnet (YCB) begin a series of three days of strike action in response to a 9.5% pay cut imposed by their employer last year. <\/o:p><\/p>\n

The strikers are fighting the cut and what they see as a danger to the quality of future services. <\/o:p><\/p>\n

Picket lines will run from 7.30am at: <\/o:p><\/p>\n

Flower Lane Day Centre
41 Flower Lane
Barnet
London NW7 2JN\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>Rosa Morrison Day Centre<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

83 Gloucester Road
Totteridge
Barnet
London EN5 1NA<\/span><\/o:p><\/p>\n

UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said:<\/o:p><\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cStill Barnet Council is refusing to be a part of the negotiations on a business which it owns100%. We view this as neglectful with respect to the workforce and the service users.\u201d<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Notes to Editors.<\/o:p><\/b><\/p>\n

Contact details: John Burgess Barnet UNISON on 07738389569 or 0208 359 2088 or email: john.burgess@barnetunison.org.uk<\/span><\/a><\/o:p><\/p>\n

Background: <\/o:p><\/b><\/p>\n

In February 2012<\/b> Barnet Council transferred Learning Disability and Physical and Sensory Impairment services for adults to a Local Authority Trading Company (LATC) called Your Choice Barnet (YCB). About 160 staff<\/b> (145.6<\/b> Full Time Equivalents) in Adults services transferred to the LATC. <\/o:p><\/p>\n

Following a restructure in 2013 and cuts to pay on shift allowances there are now only about 105 FTE<\/b> working for YCB a 30% cut<\/b> in staffing levels. <\/o:p><\/p>\n

Links <\/o:p><\/b><\/p>\n

1. CQC Report Supported Living inspection report here <\/b>http:\/\/www.cqc.org.uk\/location\/1-112848964<\/a><\/o:p><\/p>\n

2. CQC report with highlights by Barnet UNISON here <\/b>http:\/\/www.barnetunison.me.uk\/sites\/default\/files\/Barnet%20Supported%20Living%20inspection%20report%202014%20UNISON.pdf<\/a><\/o:p><\/p>\n

3. Winterbourne quote<\/b>: \u201cThe complaints heard at both the first inquiry and this one testified not only to inadequate staffing levels<\/b>, but poor leadership<\/b>, recruitment and training.<\/b> This led in turn to a declining professionalism and a tolerance of poor standards.\u201d (Page 45, Report of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry February 2013 Executive summary).<\/o:p><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/uploads\/system\/uploads\/attachment_data\/file\/213215\/final-report.pdf<\/a><\/o:p><\/p>\n

4. UNISON response to Consultation Paper 31 May 2013<\/o:p><\/b><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.barnetunison.me.uk\/sites\/default\/files\/Full%20UNISON%20response%20to%20YOUR%20CHOICE%20May%202013.pdf<\/a><\/o:p><\/p>\n

5. UNISON response to Task and Finish Report 25 November 2013 <\/o:p><\/b><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.barnetunison.me.uk\/sites\/default\/files\/UNISON%20response%20to%20Task%20and%20Finish%20Report.pdf<\/a><\/o:p><\/p>\n

6. “I Found Myself Just Crying” – Your Choice Barnet<\/o:p><\/b><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.barnetunison.me.uk\/?q=node\/1263<\/a><\/o:p><\/p>\n

<\/b><\/p>\n

<\/b><\/p>\n

7. Why UNISON Your Choice Barnet Care Workers are taking strike action. <\/o:p><\/b><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.barnetunison.me.uk\/sites\/default\/files\/2015.01.15.%20YCB%20FLYER%20PUBLIC.pdf<\/a><\/o:p><\/p>\n

8. UNISON Your Choice Barnet Care Workers \u201c9 Point Flyer<\/o:p><\/b><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.barnetunison.me.uk\/sites\/default\/files\/2015.01.15.%20STRIKE%20YCB%20FLYER%20nine%20point.pdf<\/a><\/o:p><\/b><\/p>\n

9. Support UNISON Your Choice Barnet Care Workers strike action video <\/o:p><\/b><\/p>\n

http:\/\/youtu.be\/9jVXn6_BcVY<\/a><\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

10. The Capita \u00a3110million payment<\/o:p><\/b><\/p>\n

http:\/\/barnet.moderngov.co.uk\/documents\/s21029\/Appendix%20I%20-%20Capita%20Payments.pdf<\/a><\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

11. Your Choice – in built pension burden creates artificial loss to justify pay cut<\/b> http:\/\/lbbspending.blogspot.co.uk\/2014\/09\/nochoice.html<\/a><\/o:p><\/p>\n

12. Sign Petition to Stop the ongoing destruction of services for adults with disabilities in Barnet <\/o:p><\/b><\/p>\n

https:\/\/you.38degrees.org.uk\/petitions\/stop-the-ongoing-destruction-of-services-for-adults-with-disabilities-in-barnet<\/a><\/o:p><\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Barnet UNISON Press Release: \u00a024 March 2015\u00a0 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: YCB care workers now out for 3 days! YCB made a cut of 9.5% of the workers\u2019 wages in order to save \u00a3400,000. YCB has now offered the workforce \u00a340,000 as a one-off payment. This is less than \u00a3400 per head of staff. Staff in Supported Living \u2013 the service<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[50],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-local"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.barnetunison.me.uk\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1312","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.barnetunison.me.uk\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.barnetunison.me.uk\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.barnetunison.me.uk\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.barnetunison.me.uk\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1312"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.barnetunison.me.uk\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1312\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4434,"href":"https:\/\/www.barnetunison.me.uk\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1312\/revisions\/4434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.barnetunison.me.uk\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.barnetunison.me.uk\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.barnetunison.me.uk\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}