Barnet UNISON submission to Barnet Council about #Coronavirus
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Dear Members
As the Corona (Corvid-19) virus has spread it has become the main issue of concern in our workplaces.
The main responsibility for dealing with the virus lies with the UK Government and national and regional agencies. But Barnet UNISON believes, along with the rest of the Trade Union movement, that unions and employers, working together, can make a significant difference to ensure that the effects of the outbreak are minimised.
Over the last few weeks Barnet UNISON have been trying to engage with Barnet Council about the Corona Virus. We want to work with the Council in a cooperative way to inform and protect our members, other colleagues and the public, so that measures taken in response to the virus are appropriate, sufficient, and fairly applied. We also believe that working this way will help prevent irresponsible behaviour and panic.
UNISON members have raised their concerns with us on obtaining information on the level of risk, the lack of precautionary measure such as sanitisers at some work sites, and the repercussions of not being at work because of illness, self-isolation or other result of the outbreak.
The Council have been relaying information from the Government, the NHS and Public Health England on the intranet or through work emails, but not all Barnet workers have easy access to these, and are missing important communications. Further guidance specific to our workplaces is also needed.
The Council have tried to supply sanitisers and wipes, but they have informed that we problems with supply of these items have proved a major obstacle. Â At a service and local level some mangers and staff have been procuring items for the protection of colleagues, but UNISON hold that these should have been planned for and provided at the Council Corporate level before now.
In response to our members concerns we have raised a number of issues with the Council. These include
At the time of writing we still await a full response from the Council and but have been informed that the issues will be discussed at meeting next week. Barnet UNISON welcome this but such discussion and information should have already   been provided. But we hope that this signals the Council’s willingness to truly engage with UNISON and the other trade unions in protecting the health of our colleagues and the public.
In the meantime please use the following links to get further information on the Corona Virus.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
Â
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance
If you have concerns or questions please contact your local UNISON reps, or the Branch at
The Corona virus requires a collective response. Â Acting together to protect ourselves is the cornerstone of trade unionism. Working together and looking out for our colleagues, friends, family, service users and the wider community will be a major factor in reducing the damage caused by the virus. Â Selfish individualist actions, such as panic buying, profiteering on in-demand items or stealing sanitisers from work places threaten all of us, including those committing these acts.
Stay safe, stay healthy.
In Solidarity
Hugh Jordan
Branch Health & Safety Officer/Libraries Convenor
Barnet Unison
Tel: 0208 359 2088
http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/
British Library, Kings Cross.
March to protest about cuts to libraries, museums and the arts.
Barnet Unison were on the march along with striking Barnet library staff.
05/11/16 BP AMS
Barnet UNISON welcomes the publication of the Council’s commissioned Library review.
It is a thorough and detailed body of work and while we are not in total agreement with its findings or recommendations, we commend those who worked on it for its evidence based and independent approach. This included a willingness to engage with UNISON and Library workers.
This is an initial response from Barnet UNISON, focusing on the salient concerns to us a trade union. Further and more detailed responses will follow as we consult with our members working in Barnet Libraries.
Much of the Review concurs with our warnings to the Council before and since the implementation of the current structure and operation of Barnet Libraries. We have been raising these concerns, which focus on the accessibility and the quality and breath of service since 2014. However  the Council proceeded on their course and the resulting public dissatisfaction and restriction of access (particularly for children and people with disabilities) are plain to see in the Review’s findings.
Barnet UNISON is glad to see the professionalism and hard work of Library staff, at all levels recognised in the Review but  the continuing achievements of these workers is despite the Library Restructure of 2017 not because of those changes. Barnet Library workers have had to overcome significant challenges, including a reduction in numbers of almost 50%, the loss of public and work space, a disruptive working schedule and having to deal with the often justified but misdirected frustration and anger of the public.
Barnet UNISON fought a long campaign to defend the jobs of Library workers from 2014 to 2017. This involved considerable effort and self-sacrifice by UNISON members working in Barnet Libraries. This campaign was not only about defending our members but a bid to maintain the quality and availability of libraries for the people who live, work, study and visit in Barnet. But regrettably many library workers lost their jobs in April 2017. In many cases this was a sad and premature end to decades-long careers. These Library workers were sacrificed to the Council’s belief that their skills, knowledge and experience could be replaced by machines and volunteers
Nearly three years after this loss the  Review has found:
“The reduction in staffed opening hours has gone too far, particularly given the low number of volunteers. The reductions act as a deterrent to many library users from using the library and act as a particular barrier to young people who cannot access the library on their own during SSO hours if they do not meet the minimum age requirements.”
And
“The loss of staff and the fact that they move between libraries more makes it harder for users to develop positive relationships that support library use for all ages. This is not a criticism of staff. It is a loss for the community”
To help redress this the Review advises that the Council;
“To increase staffed opening hours by increasing staffing resources in the short to medium term at least until adequate numbers of volunteers can be recruited and the use of volunteers stabilised”
UNISON support the increase in staffing resources but on a permanent basis. Even if “adequate numbers of Volunteers” are found they are not suitable replacements for Library staff
The Review also calls on the Council;
“To review the extent of budget reductions and explore the scope for additional investment in the service given the relative decline in the take-up of the service”
While the Council have published no plans for further cuts to the Library Service, the implementation of the Review’s recommendations would require additional funds being allocated to the Service. Attempting to implement the changes described without additional resources will result in further burdens and stress on an already overstretched work force.
Barnet UNISON ask the Council;
Barnet UNISON hope the Review will spur the Council to at least begin to repairing the damage done to Barnet Libraries in 2017. Damage which our Union and others warned the Council would result from their Library strategy. We call on the Council to truly engage with us and those who know the service best, Library workers, in making our Libraries truly fit for the 21rst Century.
Earlier this year Barnet UNISON submitted 52 collective grievances on behalf of our members working in 52 Barnet Schools.
What is this about?
It is about the calculation used to ensure that part-time workers are not being discriminated in relation to their pay.
UNISON believes that this contract term is unfair and inherently discriminatory. We believe that this contract term results term time only workers receiving less than their pro-rata leave entitlement compared to their full time equivalent (FTE) colleagues.
UNISON believes that this contract treats part time workers less favourably than full time staff and is therefore discriminatory. We also believe that the approach is potentially discriminatory on sex grounds as the workers affected are overwhelmingly female.
UNISON is seeking a recalculation of the pay and leave of these staff and a payment of back pay of any historical underpayment from their date of appointment.
We would also seek a recalculation of any pension entitlement under the LGPS resulting from any underpayment or understatement of pensionable service.
What are we doing now?
We are now busy arranging meetings in these schools to explain the reason for the claim for backdated pay and a payment for underpayment of their Pension. Only one of the Schools is a Barnet Schools the rest are Academies/Foundation Schools.
We are beginning to lodge our legal claim against the Schools in order to protect our members claims.
What about Barnet Council Schools?
As news spreads about our campaign, our members working in Barnet Council Schools are asking about their claims.
Our members were never informed by Barnet Council that they were being paid incorrectly and that they had a claim for back pay and a payment towards the underpayment of their Pension. Our members are angry to hear they have not been paid correctly and are demanding that Barnet Council pay up.
Today, Barnet UNISON has written to Barnet Council seeking a meeting to discuss our claim on behalf of our members. We are calling on Barnet Council to do the right thing and reach a collective agreement which will address the backdating and the underpayment of the Pension.
This is a massive issue for our members and we are continuing to keep all of our members briefed as to their rights at work.
If you are on a Term Time Pay contract and worried if you are being correctly paid please contact the branch on 0208 359 2088 or email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk
More to follow…….
End.
Barnet UNISON is hosting drop-in sessions for our members working in schools which have Term Time Pay issues.
Drop-in sessions will take place on
Drop-in sessions are held at the Barnet UNISON office, Barnet House, 1255 High Road, Whetstone, London N20 0EJ
Members please note you will need the following information.
Your monthly take home pay figures, payroll number which is on your pay slip, your membership number.
End.
“We are in the process of enormous catastrophic breakdown and if takes an arrest to try to find ways of helping to galvanise public opinion then it certainly worth being arrested.” (Rabbi Jeffrey Newman 14th October 2019.)
Rabbi Jeffrey Newman is guest speaker at Barnet UNISON AGM on Tuesday 25 February 2020 at 4pm Barnet House. All member welcome.
British Library, Kings Cross.
March to protest about cuts to libraries, museums and the arts.
Barnet Unison were on the march along with striking Barnet library staff.
05/11/16 BP
AMS
Barnet Council have commissioned “an independent evaluation of recent changes to the library service and to make some recommendations for the future.” (https://www.barnet.gov.uk/libraries-0)
The Company undertaking the review have asked Barnet UNISON and a sample of Library staff for their views. We welcome this engagement with Library workers.
We hope that the review will be fair and evidence based, and that the Council have made the necessary information and evidence available to the reviewing organisation. This must include comparable statistics on the use of libraries in staffed and unstaffed hours and include the four Libraries outsourced in 2017.
The findings of the review should be published in March and Barnet UNISON will make a full response at that time.
End.
We the undersigned, wish to add our support for Barnet UNISON’s request to the Barnet Council Chief Executive to bring the ISS Catering workers based in the Atrium in North London Business Park (NLBP) back in-house in order they can run a Council owned staff café in the new £55 million Colindale Office.
Sign petition here http://chng.it/gNCjP62Q
***** Please note there is currently no staff cafe facility in the new Colindale office building.
Background:
On 1 April 2016 Barnet Council outsourced their Catering Service to Cambridge Education who are a subsidiary of global giant Mott MacDonald.
Barnet UNISON reached an agreement with Barnet Council that ensured the contract included a provision that no staff could be employed on less than the London Living Wage (LLW).
Cambridge Education sub-contracted the Catering service to another global giant ISS who employed all the Catering workers.
However, Barnet UNISON and the Atrium Catering workers were unaware that the contract between ISS and Cambridge Education did not include the provision of a staff café in the soon to be built £55 million Council Office in Colindale.
In December 2019 Barnet Council informed Barnet UNISON that they had failed to secure an alternative provider to deliver a staff café in Colindale office.
On Monday 27 January 2020 ISS began redundancy one to one meetings for their staff working in the staff canteen in NLBP.
On 1 April 2020 the LLW changes from ÂŁ10.55 (for a 36 hour week the annual salary would be ÂŁ19,979) to ÂŁ10.75 an hour.
*** In the likely event that our proposal is not implemented and the redundancies are carried out, Barnet UNISON is calling on all council staff to try and visit the staff canteen in NLBP on Friday 27 March 2020 between 12 and 1.30 pm for a Solidarity and Thank you meal with our ISS catering workers.
I was not looking forward to this consultation meeting. The look of devastation on the faces of mainly low paid female workers was for all to see.
Each worker spoke with passion about the work they do and what they felt was betrayal for all the hard work they have put into the school for years.
I was able to sit and listen to them tell me about what they do. It was clear they cared deeply about the children they support. They expressed disbelief that the restructure proposals will even work.
I left the meeting not deflated but recharged with energy to try to do as much as I can for them.
This is my second redundancy meeting in a week and it’s hitting low paid workers again.
If this week is an indicator of life for workers under Boris Johnson then we should all be worried
More later….
On Wednesday 15th January 2020 UNISON lodged collective grievances against 52 Barnet Schools to ensure we protect claims on behalf of all of over 500 UNISON members working in those schools.
Three things that need to be done for YOU.
IMPORTANT ADVICE:
Barnet UNISON has an organiser called Nadia who will be contacting you to set up a meeting to explain what happens next.
If you want to speak to Nadia please contact the branch on 0208 359 2088 or email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk
Term Time Pay Update Meeting
On Tuesday 25 February 2020 5.15 pm, Barnet House, 1255 High Road, Whetstone N20 0EJ after the Barnet UNISON Annual General Meeting there will be an update for all of our members on the claim.
Please come along.