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Four things you can do to help Barnet care workers
There are 4 things all of our supporters can do to help
1. Ask your MP to sign Early Day Motion 778
http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2014-15/778
Our picket lines are below and you are welcome to attend any of them
2. Join a Picket line on 24 & 25 February details
· Flower Lane Day Centre 41 Flower Lane, Barnet, London NW7 2JN
· Rosa Morrison Day Centre, 83 Gloucester Road, Totteridge, Barnet, London EN5 1NA
The start times are 7.30am to 12noon
3. Please Sign & Share their Petition
4. Make a donation or organise a collection in your workplace.
You can send a donation to our office here
Barnet UNISON, Ground Floor, Building 4, North London Business Park, Oakleigh Road South, London, N11 1NP
Cheques payable to “Barnet UNISON industrial Action Fund”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Care Workers to take strike action 24 & 25 February 2015.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Care Workers to take strike action 24 & 25 February 2015.
UNISON members working for Your Choice Barnet (YCB) have just announced their next strike dates as being 24 & 25 February. This takes place in the middle of the TUC Fair Pay fortnight.
This will make a total of 8 days of strike action since the dispute began. This is in a bid to reverse the harsh 9.5% pay cut imposed on them by their employer.
YCB has not met with UNISON as they have indicated they have nothing new to offer. Barnet Council has failed to become involved in a positive way at all. The Council has clearly been giving preferential treatment to its private contractors with the news of Capita has already received £110 million in the first 16 months of the two contracts. If YCB were to receive this, it would carry on producing a service to the residents on the scale it does for the next 18 years with no pay cut to staff!
The dispute has now reached the ears of House of Commons Early Day Motion 778 http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2014-15/778
This dispute is clearly one of priorities.
UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said:
“The driving motivation for our members in this dispute is their fears about what is happening to the quality of services. Low pay in the care sector does not deliver high quality services. It does not appear to work for Capita, we are at a loss as to understand why this would work for care workers in YCB.”
24 & 25 February Picket Line details
1. Flower Lane Day Centre
41 Flower Lane
Barnet
London NW7 2JN
2. Rosa Morrison Day Centre
83 Gloucester Road
Totteridge
Barnet
London EN5 1NA
The start times are 7.30am to 12noon
Notes to Editors.
Contact details: John Burgess Barnet UNISON on 07738389569 or 0208 359 2088 or email: john.burgess@barnetunison.org.uk
Background:
In February 2012 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 (145.6 Full Time Equivalents) in Adults services transferred to the LATC.
Following a restructure in 2013 and cuts to pay on shift allowances there are now only about 105 FTE working for YCB a 30% cut in staffing levels.
Links
1. Why UNISON Your Choice Barnet Care Workers are taking strike action.
http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/2015.01.15.%20YCB%20FLYER%20PUBLIC.pdf
2. UNISON Your Choice Barnet Care Workers “9 Point Flyer
3. Support UNISON Your Choice Barnet Care Workers strike action video
4. The Capita £110million payment
http://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s21029/Appendix%20I%20-%20Capita%20Payments.pdf
5. Your Choice Barnet Care worker to give evidence at Commission in House of Commons
5. Your Choice – in built pension burden creates artificial loss to justify pay cut http://lbbspending.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/nochoice.html
6. Sign Petition to Stop the ongoing destruction of services for adults with disabilities in Barnet
Barnet Council to vote on NOT paying London Living Wage
On Tuesday 18 February 2015Remuneration Committee, Barnet Council are going to agree pay policy Pay Policy Statement 2015/16. In relation to the London Living Wage they say the following:
“3.14. For the period of this pay policy statement the council has decided to apply a living wage rate of £8.80 per hour worked for all employees. Employees whose pay rate is less than this amount will receive a pay supplement to bring their pay up to an equivalent of the published Barnet Living Wage rate.”
http://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s21262/Annex%20A%20-%20Pay%20Policy%20Statement.pdf
The London Living Wage is £9.15http://www.livingwage.org.uk/what-living-wage
According to Remuneration Committee 14 October 2013 figures inhttp://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s11046/London%20Living%20Wage.pdf it means that up to 838 Council workers are now earning less than the London Living Wage
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