On Wednesday 25 November Chancellor George Osborne will announce details of his Comprehensive Spending Review. Barnet Council agreed at their Policy & Resources Committee, 9 July 2015 that their Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) needed to deliver £81.1 million in budget cuts.

A large part of the strategy is outsourcing and becoming a commissioning council, outsourcing their staff to other employers and asking them to deliver the staff savings.

On Wednesday 18 November councillors on Children, Education, and Libraries & Safeguarding Committee agreed to award a contract to global multinational giant Mott MacDonald.

This decision which still has to be ratified at a Full Council meeting on Tuesday 8 December 2015 will mean 476 Council workers transfer out of the Council to the private contractor.

At the same meeting councillors agreed to add staff working in Family Services to the ever growing outsourcing pipeline, aka Barnet Commissioning Council. This outsourcing project includes children’s social workers (child protection), children centre workers and youth workers among others.

At the Performance and Contract Management Committee, on Tuesday 17th November the following staffing figures were produced:

1. Education & Skills and Catering 300.93 full time equivalent posts

2. Street Scene services 428.46 full time equivalent posts

3. Library Service 114 full time equivalent posts).

4. Adults & Communities 235.71 full time equivalent posts

5. Family services 461.31 full time equivalent posts. Library figures have been excluded

6. Commissioning Group 147.87 full time equivalent posts

The decision to add all staff working in Family Services to the outsourcing project means that 92% (1,540.41 full time equivalents) of the current Barnet Council workforce are now facing the likelihood of being outsourced.

This would leave only council staff working in the Commissioning Group as Council employees. 

UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said: On Wednesday 25 November the Chancellor George Osborne will provide the details to his Comprehensive Spending Review. It is the worst kept secret that his review will lead to damaging future for social care and public services. The attack will be delivered by either cuts and or mass outsourcing.  The model for the sell-off of the NHS has been hatched and delivered here in Barnet. We have had 7 years of Future Shape, Easy Council, One Barnet and now Commissioning Council and we are finally at the point we predicted back in 2008, that the Council was looking to handover their staff to other employers, leaving behind a small core of workers. Whilst the Council will claim that decisions have not been made, staff in Barnet are fully aware of the ‘direction of travel’ for staff and will now be no doubt be making their own plans. This news presents a serious risk particularly for social services as social workers are highly likely to consider moving elsewhere. There is already a social work recruitment and retention crisis in Barnet this news is unlikely to help.”

End.

Notes to Editors.

Contact details: John Burgess Barnet UNISON on 07738389569 or 0208 359 2088 or email: john.burgess@barnetunison.org.uk

Background:

Six years ago Barnet Council introduced a policy known as Future Shape which morphed into ‘easyCouncil’*.This imposed a series of tariffs on residents wishing to access a range of services. A basic service would be offered to residents at a fixed price, but ‘fast track’ services might be available if you paid extra.

This approach was quickly abandoned by the consultant driven One Barnet Programme, which led to the following Council Services being outsourced/privatised in the space of three years:

1. Social Care for Adults with disabilities to Your Choice Barnet

2. Housing Options to Barnet Homes

3. Parking Services to NSL

4. Revenues & Benefits, IT, HR & Payroll, Pensions, Health & Safety, Finance, Estates, Property Services, Procurement, Projects all now part of Capita CSG

5. Environmental Health, Planning, Building Control, Hendon Cemetery & Crematorium, Highways, Trading Standards & Licensing all now Capita RE

6. Legal Services

7. Registrars & Nationality Services

8. CCTV

9. Music Trust

10. Public Health

11. Mortuary Services.

Over the past three years our members have seen hundreds of colleagues transferred to other employers. This has often meant redundancy as the new employer moved jobs out of the borough and Greater London to places as far afield as Belfast, Carlisle, Coventry, Southampton and Darlington.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: UNISON confirm 24 hour strike 7 October – over 46 % of Library workers to be sacked

Barnet UNISON members who still work for Barnet Council (excluding community schools) will begin a 24 hour strike action on Wednesday 7 October.

The dispute involves social workers, coach escorts, drivers, occupational therapists, schools catering staff, education welfare officers, library workers, children centre workers, street cleaning & refuse workers, all of whom have made it clear they want to remain employees of Barnet Council and don’t want to be outsourced.

On Friday 2 October 2015, Barnet Council published their devastating report on the future of the library service which is reveals:

· 46% of workforce to be sacked

· Redundancy payments will cost £1.5 million

· Council are now proposing to cut the 634.5 staffed library hours a week to 188.

· Four Libraries, Childs Hill, East Barnet , Mill Hill, and South Friern will be run by volunteers

· Phase one of planning for and changing the library service has been estimated at £399,300

· Phase Two will cost £750, 000

· It is estimated that “reconfiguring libraries to release space” will cost £2 million.

· The cost in introducing technology that allows unstaffed opening will cost £2.41 million,

· This means that at least £6,560,3000 will be spent implementing changes to the Library Service  with the rationale of saving £2.850,000

· East Finchley Library reduced in size by 55% with staffed hour reduced from 40 hours to 16 hours.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said: “I have been a long term supporter of John Burgess & Barnet UNISON and the community campaign that has shown remarkable fighting spirit in the face of a relentless attack from the hard right in control of Barnet Council. Under Jeremy, people can see that there is a real alternative to austerity which is why I am fully behind Barnet UNISON members taking strike action on 7 October. If possible I hope to join you on the picket line.”

Hugh Jordan Library Convenor said: “The Council’s proposal “Barnet future Library Service” is a plan to replace qualified, experienced staff with a wide range of skills and knowledge with volunteer and machines, and to reduce the size and quality of Libraries. The people of Barnet, including our members, did not march, lobby, sign petitions and respond to the consultation in support of volunteer and machine operated libraries, they were defending a service staffed by real library staff, libraries with enough space for people to study and use IT, and to house sufficient items for loan to meet the needs of their users. UNISON members working in Barnet Libraries oppose the Council’s dire future vision of our Service.”

UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said:

“Barnet Council workers are in the frontline of austerity politics which is driving the outsourcing agenda and a ‘race to the bottom’ for our member’s terms and conditions. I am dismayed that so many loyal hard working Library workers are to be sacked in the name of progress. In a few weeks’ time 335 catering workers are expecting to hear news that they are likely to be handed over to private contractor ISS, without any guarantee they will continue to be paid the London Living Wage (LLW). Lidl & Morrisons have announced they will pay the LLW, yet Barnet Council are refusing to include the LLW in the contract. Once again it is low paid women paying the price of austerity. Our members will be on strike on 7 October and joining the Save Barnet Libraries campaign at the Library Committee meeting on 12 October.”

Our picket lines will be at the following locations.

· Barnet House from 7 am.

· Mill Hill Depot—Starts 6 am onwards.

· East Finchley Library—Start 9 am onwards.

Rally 12.30 – St Johns Church Hall, Friern Barnet Lane, Speakers to be confirmed

End.

Notes to Editors.

Contact details: John Burgess Barnet UNISON on 07738389569 or 0208 359 2088 or email: john.burgess@barnetunison.org.uk

Background:

Six years ago Barnet Council introduced a policy known as Future Shape which morphed into ‘easyCouncil’*.This imposed a series of tariffs on residents wishing to access a range of services. A basic service would be offered to residents at a fixed price, but ‘fast track’ services might be available if you paid extra.

This approach was quickly abandoned by the consultant driven One Barnet Programme, which led to the following Council Services being outsourced/privatised in the space of three years:

1. Social Care for Adults with disabilities to Your Choice Barnet

2. Housing Options to Barnet Homes

3. Parking Services to NSL

4. Revenues & Benefits, IT, HR & Payroll, Pensions, Health & Safety, Finance, Estates, Property Services, Procurement, Projects all now part of Capita CSG

5. Environmental Health, Planning, Building Control, Hendon Cemetery & Crematorium, Highways, Trading Standards & Licensing all now Capita RE

6. Legal Services

7. Registrars & Nationality Services

8. CCTV

9. Music Trust

10. Public Health

11. Mortuary Services.

Over the past three years our members have seen hundreds of colleagues transferred to other employers. This has often meant redundancy as the new employer moved jobs out of the borough and Greater London to places as far afield as Belfast, Carlisle, Coventry, Southampton and Darlington.

Barnet has branded this final phase as the ‘Commissioning Council’.

On 3 March 2015 Barnet Council agreed its next Five Commissioning Plans all of which are looking at ‘Alternative Delivery Models’, jargon for working for a different employer.

The Council Services now at risk of outsourcing are:

· Early Years – 13 Children’s Centres

· Library Services

· Adults & Communities services

· Street Scene Services e.g. Waste & Recycling, Street Cleansing, Parks and Transport

· Education & Skills and School Meals services.

Barnet Council is about to agree a number of outsourcing and cuts across a number of council committees over the next four months which would see the number of staff employed by the council reduced to less than 300.

The outsourcing of services is Barnet Council’s response to austerity policies which have resulted in council budgets being cut by 40% by 2020. It is a deliberate ideological attack on public services which punishes our members and limits access to public services for the most vulnerable in our society. Barnet Council announced a few weeks ago that Meals on Wheels will cease as from 1 April 2016, which is another sign of how pernicious austerity fundamentalist policies are to those in most need http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34310729

Catering staff know what’s cooking. They don’t like privatisation and they will be on strike 7 October

Children’s centre staff know it’s child’s play – of course they don’t like privatisation and they will be on strike 7 October

Refuse workers know rubbish when they see it. They don’t like privatisation and they will be taking strike action 7 October

Social Workers know about safeguarding services. They don’t like privatisation and they will be taking strike action 7 October

OT’s have assessed the situation. They don’t like privatisation and they will be taking strike action 7 October

Assessment and Enablement Officers have reviewed the situation. They don’t like privatisation and they will be taking strike action 7 October

Hospital social workers have arranged support but not for privatisation. They will be taking strike action 7 October

Mental Health workers know what makes them crazy. They don’t like privatisation and they will be taking strike action 7 October

Coach drivers and passenger escorts know something about the direction of travel. They don’t like privatisation and they will be taking strike action 7 October

Library workers have read all about it. They don’t like privatisation and they will be taking strike action 7 October

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Barnet UNISON propose 24 hour strike on 7 October

Barnet UNISON members who still work for Barnet Council (excluding community schools) will begin a 24 hour strike action on Wednesday 7 October

The dispute involves social workers, coach escorts, drivers, occupational therapists, schools catering staff, education welfare officers, library workers, children centre workers, street cleaning & refuse workers, all of whom have made it clear they want to remain employees of Barnet Council and don’t want to be outsourced.

Barnet Council is about to agree a number of outsourcing and cuts across a number of council committees over the next four months which would see the number of staff employed by the council reduced to less than 300.

The outsourcing of services is Barnet Council’s response to austerity policies which have resulted in council budgets being cut by 40% by 2020. It is a deliberate ideological attack on public services which punishes our members and limits access to public services for the most vulnerable in our society. Barnet Council announced a few weeks ago that Meals on Wheels will cease as from 1 April 2016, which is another sign of how pernicious austerity fundamentalist policies are to those in most need http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34310729

On 2 October the Council will publish a report on the future of the library service which is seeking to reduce the staff budget by 68%. This will, in effect, destroy our wonderful public library services.

At our recent Kids4Libraries march Jeremy Corbyn, now Leader of Labour Party said: ‘First I want to add my apologies to the event and the huge admiration for Barnet UNISON. I want to send a message of support to John Burgess & the Save Barnet Libraries campaign for their tireless & inspirational community campaign to protect their local Library service. I would encourage everyone to join their Kids4Libraries this Saturday 12 September. Barnet Council are determined to outsource all of their services I salute Barnet UNISON & the community campaign for their ongoing fight to defend public services.’

Picket Lines will be:

· Barnet House from 7 am.

· Mill Hill Depot—Starts 6 am onwards.

· East Finchley Library—Start 9 am onwards.

A rally will be held outside Barnet House at 12 noon

UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said: “Our members want to work for the Council, they want to be directly accountable to the residents of Barnet. Our members don’t want to work for an employer which will have to place the shareholders’ legal demands before local residents’ needs. Our members don’t want to work for an employer which uses zero hours contracts. Our members don’t want to work for an employer which will not pay the London Living Wage as a basic minimum. Our members don’t want to work for an employer which won’t allow their colleagues to belong to their Pension Scheme, and our members don’t want to work for an employer which will take jobs out of the borough. That’s why 87% of our members working for the Council voted ‘Yes’ to taking strike action. So far the Council has failed to come close to agreeing to any one of these demands. One of our members has written and produced a music campaign video called “UNISON Army” which pretty much sums up the mood of our members take a look https://youtu.be/9AcYT2YTFLE ”

End.

Notes to Editors.

Contact details: John Burgess Barnet UNISON on 07738389569 or 0208 359 2088 or email: john.burgess@barnetunison.org.uk

Background:

Six years ago Barnet Council introduced a policy known as Future Shape which morphed into ‘easyCouncil’*.This imposed a series of tariffs on residents wishing to access a range of services. A basic service would be offered to residents at a fixed price, but ‘fast track’ services might be available if you paid extra.

This approach was quickly abandoned by the consultant driven One Barnet Programme, which led to the following Council Services being outsourced/privatised in the space of three years:

1. Social Care for Adults with disabilities to Your Choice Barnet

2. Housing Options to Barnet Homes

3. Parking Services to NSL

4. Revenues & Benefits, IT, HR & Payroll, Pensions, Health & Safety, Finance, Estates, Property Services, Procurement, Projects all now part of Capita CSG

5. Environmental Health, Planning, Building Control, Hendon Cemetery & Crematorium, Highways, Trading Standards & Licensing all now Capita RE

6. Legal Services

7. Registrars & Nationality Services

8. CCTV

9. Music Trust

10. Public Health

11. Mortuary Services.

Over the past three years our members have seen hundreds of colleagues transferred to other employers. This has often meant redundancy as the new employer moved jobs out of the borough and Greater London to places as far afield as Belfast, Carlisle, Coventry, Southampton and Darlington.

Barnet has branded this final phase as the ‘Commissioning Council’.

On 3 March 2015 Barnet Council agreed its next Five Commissioning Plans all of which are looking at ‘Alternative Delivery Models’, jargon for working for a different employer.

The Council Services now at risk of outsourcing are:

· Early Years – 13 Children’s Centres

· Library Services

· Adults & Communities services

· Street Scene Services e.g. Waste & Recycling, Street Cleansing, Parks and Transport

· Education & Skills and School Meals services.

2. Disappearing Council – short animation https://youtu.be/YQ5t63fSu-s

3. “The easyCouncil Loco-motion” https://youtu.be/Wi0bdgofsmM

 

Our members who still work for Barnet Council now face a critical moment as five outsourcing projects are due to make decision in the next five months.

The UNISON family has showed us tremendous solidarity through messages of support and donations.

We began our second phase of our campaign by launching news of our Kids4Libraries march on Saturday 12 September.

We have issued a social media campaign called Thunderclap on Twitter and Face Book and asked supporters to join by clicking on this link and signing up to support.

http://t.co/KFsIocB6mF

Here is a list of UNISON branches who have sent donations to our branch.

South Tyneside UNISON

Portsmouth UNISON

Mid Yorkshire Health UNISON

Southend UNISON

Bolton UNISON

Kingston & Chelsea UNISON

Doncaster, District & B Health UNISON

Royal Devon UNISON

Rochdale UNISON

Stoke-on-Trent UNISON

Mendip UNISON

West Midlands Fire UNISON

Burnley UNISON

Hert Community Healthcare UNISON

Tower Hamlets UNISON

Tunbridge Wells Borough UNISON

City of Edinburgh UNISON

Thurrock UNISON

Barking, Havering & Redbridge Health UNISON

Barking & Dagenham UNISON

North Yorkshire UNISON

Carmarthenshire County UNISON

Hillingdon UNISON

Norfolk County UNISON

North Somerset UNISON

Somerset County UNISON

Calderdale UNISON

Lothian Health UNISON

New Forest DC UNISON

Manchester UNISON

Wirral Health UNISON

Wiltshire UNISON

Charnwood Borough UNISON

Sandwell UNISON

Bath Health Care UNISON

Newcastle City UNISON

Stockport Metropolitan UNISON

Western Isles LG UNISON

East Lancashire Health UNISON

Scottish Healthcare UNISON

Hackney UNISON

West Sussex UNISON

Essex County UNISON

Barnsley UNISON

Tameside UNISON

Milton Keynes UNISON

Ashford Borough LG UNISON

Salford City UNISON (£50) & collection (£50)

Camden UNISON

Dudley Hospital Group UNISON

Falkirk UNISON

Swindon UNISON

North Tyneside UNISON

Leeds LG UNISON

Redcar & Cleveland UNISON

Pembrokeshire UNISON

Aberdeen UNISON

Southampton District UNISON

Kirklees UNISON

Cardiff & Vale UNISON

Durham County UNISON

Mid Yorkshire Health UNISON

Bournemouth & Christchurch UNISON

Kensington & Chelsea UNISON

Gateshead LG UNISON

Wolverhampton UNISON

Orchard Health UNISON

Southwark UNISON

Hemerton UNISON

South Lanarkshire UNISON

Woking UNISON

Rotherham UNISON

York City UNISON

Croydon UNISON

Bolton Salford Trafford Mental Health UNISON

Southend UNISON

Hull City UNISON

Central Bristol Health UNISON

Knowsley UNISON

Portsmouth Trades Council

Cardiff County LG UNISON

Liverpool City UNISON

Sheffield Metropolitan UNISON

Cambridge City UNISON

Dundee City UNISON

Lothian Health UNISON

Leeds LG UNISON

South Manchester Hospital UNISON

Surrey County UNISON

Dorset Health UNISON

Hounslow UNISON

UCL Hospital UNISON

FBU London Region

East Renfrewshire UNISON

St Helens & Knowsley Health UNISON

Southwest UNISON

Environment Agency UNISON

Winchester City UNISON

Northwick Park & St Marks UNISON

Greenpark Health UNISON

Hull & Lincoln Universities UNISON

Fenland District LG UNISON

Bolton Metro UNISON

Warwick District UNISON

South Somerset LG UNISON

Whittington Hospital Health UNISON

Dorset UNISON

Camden UNISON

Hastings & Eastbourne UNISON

United Utilities UNISON

Cumbria County UNISON

Sefton Health UNISON

Oxfordshire County UNISON

Isle of Wight LG UNISON

Fareham Borough UNISON

Environment Agency Thames UNISON

GLA UNISON

UWE UNISON

Ealing UNISON

Hillingdon UNISON

Cambridgeshire County UNISON

 

If you want to donate to ur campaign please email our branch at contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

 

21 July 2015

Barnet Council has five commissioning outsourcing projects which will have a direct impact on the majority of the council workforce:

1. Educations & Skills and School Meals

2. Adults and Communities

3. Early Years – Children’s Centres

4. Street Scene & related services

5. Libraries

Barnet UNISON has put together an initial timetable for all the outsourcing decisions for all five outsourcing projects using links from the Barnet Council Committees website.

The timetable for key decisions extends from September 2015 to January 2016.

This timetable will need to be updated as developments emerge.

Timetable for Outsourcing decisions

Background:

The Council must publish committee reports five working days before the date of the committee meeting. This provides an opportunity for the public to read the report and submit questions, which need to be submitted to the Council two working days before the relevant committee meeting.

“Refer up to Council”.

This means councillors can discuss a committee report but at the same time formally refer it up to a Full Council meeting at which all 63 councillors will have a vote on the decision.

Dates of Full Council meetings:

· 20 October 2015

· 8 December 2015

· 26 January 2016

· 1 March 2016

· 4 April 2016

Below is a chronological list of in house council services & dates of council committee meetings where decisions are being made as to who will be the future provider.

1. Barnet Group – New Legal Entity

The future employment rights of new staff working for Barnet Homes & Your Choice Barnet will be decided at Policy & Resources Committee on Wednesday 2 September

“To approve the business case for the creation of a new legal entity within The Barnet Group with new company terms and conditions including a new pay and grading model, pension scheme and a flexible benefits solution.” See here

This decision could be referred up to Council meeting on 20 October 2015

2. Mental Health Services

The future of Mental Health Services will be decided at the Adults and Safeguarding Committee Monday 16 September 2015

“Committee to receive the Mental Health Community Model Full Business Case.” See here

This decision could be referred up to Council meeting on 20 October 2015

3. Library Services

The future of the Library Services will be decided on Monday 21 September Children’s, Education, Libraries & Safeguarding Committee:

“To approve the future shape of library provision in Barnet” See here

This decision could be referred up to Council meeting on 20 October 2015

4. Education & School Meals

The future of the Education & Skills and School Meals will be decided on Wednesday 18 November at the Children’s, Education, Libraries & Safeguarding Committee:

“Selection of partner for the creation of a joint venture to deliver education services in Barnet” See here

Then a decision will go to the following Committees:

· Policy and Resources Committee, Tuesday 1st December, 2015 7.00 pm

· Council, Tuesday 8th December, 2015 7.00 pm

5. Children’s Centres

The future of our Children’s Centres will be decided on Wednesday 18 November 2015 Children’s, Education, Libraries & Safeguarding Committee:

“To consider options for the future delivery of early years services in Barnet.” See here

This decision could be referred up to Council meeting on 8 December 2015

6. Adults & Communities

The future of Adults and Communities will be decided on Thursday 12 November Adults and Safeguarding Committee:

“Committee to receive a report on Adult Social Care ADM project, including consultation and early findings/SOC.” see here

This decision could be referred up to Council meeting on 8 December 2015

and again on Tuesday 19 January 2016 Adults and Safeguarding Committee will decide:

“Committee to receive a report on Adult Social Care ADM project OBC” See here

This decision could be referred up to Council meeting on 26 January 2016

7. Street Scene & related services

The future of Street Scene Services will be decided on Monday 11 January 2016 at the Environment Committee:

“Alternative Delivery Model: OBC To agree the outline business case for the alternative delivery of Street Scene and related services.” See here

This decision could be referred up to Council meeting on 26 January 2016

Dear Editor,

We, the undersigned, wish to convey our disgust at the act of hate crime vandalism carried out on the car of Barnet UNISON branch secretary John Burgess on 8th July. We note this attack took place two weeks after his name appeared in support of a planned anti-fascist protest in Golders Green and 10 days after John and the Barnet UNISON banner featured prominently in the trade union block on the Pride March.  Given this background we do not think either the manner of the attack or the homophobic language used were coincidental. We also believe that the way in which  some sections of the media and some politicians  have chosen to vilify trade unions,  has played  a role  by  seeming to legitimise such an individual attack as has been suffered by John Burgess. John is an elected official who enjoys the support of his branch membership. If this attack was an attempt to silence the work of John or the branch he represents, then it has failed. We will not stand aside and allow a fellow trade unionist, who has set an outstanding example over several years, to be intimidated in this way. We call on all supporters to join the Barnet UNISON branch on the community demonstration 12^th September in Barnet to save Barnet Libraries at 11.15 a.m. Church End Library N3 1TR.

Dave Prentis, General Secretary UNISON

Mark Serwotka, General Secretary, PCS

Christine Blower, General Secretary of NUT

Ian Hodson, National President BFAWU

John McDonnell MP

Jeremy Corbyn MP

Chris Stephens MP

Aditya Chakrabortty, Senior Economics Commentator,The Guardian

John Hendy QC

Bush Hill Park Labour Party

Nicola Field, Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (pc)

Gethin Roberts, Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners

Weyman Bennett, Joint Secretary Unite Against Fascism

Barnet Alliance for Public Services

Tirza Waisel, Barnet Alliance for Public Services

Barbara and Bob Jacobson, Barnet Alliance for Public Services

Chris Kaufman, Chairman, Enfield Alliance Against the Cuts

Social Work Action Network

Ellen Clifford, Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC)

Paula Peters, DPAC 

Debbie Jolly DPAC

Roger Lewis DPAC

Linda Burnip, DPAC steering group

Helen Davies, NEC and Branch Chair Barnet UNISON

Jon Rogers, NEC and Branch Secretary Lambeth UNISON

Sonya Howard, NEC and Branch Secretary Kensington and Chelsea UNISON

Max Watson, NEC and Branch Secretary London Metropolitan University UNISON

John McLoughlin, Local Government Service Group Executive and Branch Secretary Tower Hamlets

Sue Plain, Local Government Service Group Executive and Branch Secretary, Southwark UNISON

Sean Fox, Haringey LG joint branch secretary & NJC
Andrew Berry, UNISON National Labour Link Committee

Roger Tichborne, Barnet Eye blog

Theresa Musgrove, Broken Barnet blog

Derek Dishman, Mr Mustard blog

John Dix, Mr Reasonable blog

Cllr Amy Trevethan, Barnet Council

Cllr Paul Edwards, Barnet Council

A M Poppy, Barnet Green Party

Adele Ward, Barnet Green Party

Ray Knight, Branch Secretary, Bush Hill Park Labour Party

Patrick Hunter, Barnet Trades Council Secretary

Paul Coles, GMB Convenor, Barnet

Keith Nason, Barnet NUT Division Secretary

Greg Edwards, Fire Brigades Union Barnet Borough Rep

Kevin Courtney, Deputy General Secretary, NUT

Julie Davies Divisional Secretary Haringey NUT

Candy Udwin PCS National Gallery

Alan Wylie, Unison Member & Library Campaigner

Onay Kasab, Unite Regional Officer

George Binette, Camden UNISON Branch Secretary

Phoebe Watkins and Barry Walden, joint Chair Camden UNISON

Glenn Kelly, Bromley UNISON Branch Secretary

Gavin Mott/Esther Rey, Joint Branch Secretaries Hounslow LG Branch UNISON

Laurie Pocock, Croydon UNISON Branch Secretary

Matt Ratcliffe, Hillingdon UNISON Branch Secretary

Alasdair Hill, Barnet Liberal Democrats

Caroline Powls Barnet UNISON member

Martin Francis, Brent Green Party, Wembley Matters blog

Pat Poole, UCU Branch Administrator, University of York UCU

Noel Lynch, Chair Green Party Trade Union group, 

Peter Murry Secretary Green Party Trade Union group, 

Rick Jewell, Branch Officer, NHC Postal Branch CWU

Tom Walker, CWU Branch Secretary, Northern Home Counties Postal Branch

Dexter Whitfield, Director, European Services Strategy Unit

Martin Sleath, Jt Branch Secretary, Notts Unison

Serena Powis, UNISON Chairperson, Epsom and Ewell Borough Council Branch

Christopher Roche, Vice President, Bath UCU

Rabbi Jeffrey, Newman Member of Unite

Ben Jackson, UNISON Branch Secretary, Manchester Community and Mental Health UNISON Branch

Keith Martin, Chaville Press

Amanda Brown, UNISON Branch Secretary, Dorset County Branch

Glen Williams, Branch Secretary, Sefton UNISON

Bath Trade Unions’ Council

Andrew Dismore AM, London Assembly member for Barnet and Camden

Philip Lewis, Camden UNISON Vice Chair & Branch Health & Safety officer & Conv.ASC in HASC & UNISON National & Regional Health & Safety Comm.

Gary Padgett, Assistant Branch Secretary, UNISON Lincolnshire County Branch

Charles Pottins, assistant secretary Brent Trades Union Council, member West London retired branch,Unite.

Bahir Laattoe, Barnet NUT President

 

Cllr. A. Moore Leader of Barnet Labour Party 

To add your name email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

Background:

Barnet Press: “Union condemns hate crime as rep’s car is vandalised” click here

Hendon Times: ‘We won’t let the bullies intimidate us’ – union rep in hate attack click here

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OVER ONE MILLION PEOPLE TO BE CONTACTED ABOUT BARNET STRIKE

On Friday Barnet UNISON informed our members that we were using an online social media tool called Thunderclap.

Over the weekend the results have been incredible, with the latest figures showing 1,041,021 are about to read the reasons we are taking strike action on Wednesday 8 July.

You can read the update here.

Barnet UNISON members who still work for Barnet Council (excluding community schools) begin a 24 hour strike action on Wednesday 8 July

The dispute involves coach escorts, drivers, social workers, occupational therapists, schools catering staff, education welfare officers, library workers, children centre workers, street cleaning & refuse workers, all of whom have made it clear they want to remain employees of the Barnet Council.

UNISON Picket Lines will be at the following workplaces:

· North London Business Park—Start 7 am onwards.

· Mill Hill Depot—Starts 6 am onwards.

· East Finchley Library—Start 9 am onwards.

On Wednesday 8 July the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, is expected to announce further devastating cuts to local authority budgets during the emergency budget. The Local Government Association (LGA) has warned that councils in England could face a £3.3 billion reduction in central government funding for local services in 2016/17. This will mean councils will need to make big savings next year, equivalent to 12 per cent of their total budgets.

· “The LGA also predicted that the upcoming Spending Review would see Whitehall funding reduced by a further 11% in 2017/18 and 4% in 2018/19, before increasing by 7% the following year.

· This means councils face a funding gap of £9.5bn by the end of the decade, the outlook claims.”

http://www.publicfinance.co.uk/news/2015/06/councils-face-%C2%A333bn-funding-cut-lga-warns

UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said: “Our members want to work for the Council, they want to be directly accountable to the residents of Barnet. They can see for themselves that cuts to local government are being driven by an ideological obsession with outsourcing services. Our members can see that the outsourcing of council services does lead to an attack on members’ Pay,Terms & Conditions and the establishment of a divisive and unfair two tier workforce. I am pleased to see that despite all the odds the Greek people have rejected the politics of Austerity and provided a message of hope for all of us facing the Austerity endgame. I am therefore pleased to report that Jeremy Corbyn (Labour Leadership candidate) will be standing shoulder to shoulder with UNISON members on our picket lines this week. Barnet UNISON will be later joining other trade unions and disability rights campaigners on a lobby of Parliament in defence of Public Services and Trade Union rights on 8 July, at 1 pm in Parliament Square, (opposite Westminster Abbey).”

End.

Notes to Editors.

Contact details: John Burgess Barnet UNISON on 07738389569 or 0208 359 2088 or email: john.burgess@barnetunison.org.uk

Background:

1. Six years ago Barnet Council introduced a policy known as Future Shape which morphed into ‘easyCouncil’*.This imposed a series of tariffs on residents wishing to access a range of services. A basic service would be offered to residents at a fixed price, but ‘fast track’ services might be available if you paid extra.

This approach was quickly abandoned by the consultant driven One Barnet Programme, which led to the following Council Services being outsourced/privatised in the space of three years:

1. Social Care for Adults with disabilities to Your Choice Barnet

2. Housing Options to Barnet Homes

3. Parking Services to NSL

4. Revenues & Benefits, IT, HR & Payroll, Pensions, Health & Safety, Finance, Estates, Property Services, Procurement, Projects all now part of Capita CSG

5. Environmental Health, Planning, Building Control, Hendon Cemetery & Crematorium, Highways, Trading Standards & Licensing all now Capita RE

6. Legal Services

7. Registrars & Nationality Services

8. CCTV

9. Music Trust

10. Public Health

11. Mortuary Services.

Over the past three years our members have seen hundreds of colleagues transferred to other employers. This has often meant redundancy as the new employer has moved jobs out of the borough and Greater London to places as far afield as Belfast, Carlisle, Coventry, Southampton and Darlington.

Barnet has branded this final phase as the ‘Commissioning Council’.

On 3 March 2015 Barnet Council agreed its next Five Commissioning Plans all of which are looking at ‘Alternative Delivery Models’, jargon for working for a different employer.

The Council Services now at risk of outsourcing are:

1. Early Years – 13 Children’s Centres

2. Library Services

3. Adults & Communities services

4. Street Scene Services e.g. Waste & Recycling, Street Cleansing, Parks and Transport

5. Education & Skills and School Meals services.

2. Disappearing Council – short animation https://youtu.be/YQ5t63fSu-s

 

3. “The easyCouncil Loco-motion” https://youtu.be/Wi0bdgofsmM

Catering staff know what’s cooking. They don’t like privatisation and they will be on strike 8^th July

Children’s centre staff know it’s child’s play – of course they don’t like privatisation and they will be on strike 8^th July

Refuse workers know rubbish when they see it. They don’t like privatisation and they will be taking strike action 8^th July

Social Workers know about safeguarding services. They don’t like privatisation and they will be taking strike action 8^th July

OT’s have assessed the situation. They don’t like privatisation and they will be taking strike action 8^th July

Assessment and Enablement Officers have reviewed the situation. They don’t like privatisation and they will be taking strike action 8^th July

Hospital social workers have arranged support but not for privatisation. They will be taking strike action 8^th July

Mental Health workers know what makes them crazy. They don’t like privatisation and they will be taking strike action 8^th July

Coach drivers and passenger escorts know something about the direction of travel. They don’t like privatisation and they will be taking strike action 8^th July

Library workers have read all about it. They don’t like privatisation and they will be taking strike action 8^th July

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Barnet UNISON confirms 24 hour strike on 8 July

Barnet UNISON members who still work for Barnet Council (excluding community schools) will begin  a 24 hour strike action on Wednesday 8 July

The dispute involves coach escorts, drivers, social workers, occupational therapists, schools catering staff, education welfare officers, library workers, children centre workers, street cleaning & refuse workers, all of whom have made it clear they want to remain employees of the Barnet Council.

Picket Lines will be:

· North London Business Park—Start 7 am onwards.

· Mill Hill Depot—Starts 6 am onwards.

· East Finchley Library—Start 9 am onwards.

Lobby of Parliament

Barnet UNISON will be joining other trade unions and disability rights campaigners on a lobby of Parliament in defence of Public Services and Trade Union rights on 8 July, assemble at 1 pm in Parliament Square, (opposite Westminster Abbey).

UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said: “Our members want to work for the Council, they want to be directly accountable to the residents of Barnet. Our members don’t want to work for an employer which will have to place the shareholders’ legal demands before local residents’ needs. Our members don’t want to work for an employer which  uses zero hours contracts. Our members don’t want to work for an employer which will not pay the London Living Wage as a basic minimum. Our members don’t want to work for an employer which won’t allow their colleagues to belong to their Pension Scheme, and our members don’t want to work for an employer which will take jobs out of the borough. That’s why 87% of our members working for the Council voted ‘Yes’ to taking strike action. So far the Council has failed to come close to agreeing to any one of these demands. One of our members has written and produced a music campaign video called “The easyCouncil Loco-motion” which pretty much sums up the mood of our members take a look here https://youtu.be/Wi0bdgofsmM”

End.

Notes to Editors.

Contact details: John Burgess Barnet UNISON on 07738389569 or 0208 359 2088 or email: john.burgess@barnetunison.org.uk

Background:

1. Six years ago Barnet Council introduced a policy known as Future Shape which morphed into ‘easyCouncil’*.This imposed a series of tariffs on residents wishing to access a range of services. A basic service would be offered to residents at a fixed price, but ‘fast track’ services might be available if you paid extra.

This approach was quickly abandoned by the consultant driven One Barnet Programme, which led to the following Council Services being outsourced/privatised in the space of three years:

1. Social Care for Adults with disabilities to Your Choice Barnet

2. Housing Options to Barnet Homes

3. Parking Services to NSL

4. Revenues & Benefits, IT, HR & Payroll, Pensions, Health & Safety, Finance, Estates, Property Services, Procurement, Projects all now part of Capita CSG

5. Environmental Health, Planning, Building Control, Hendon Cemetery & Crematorium, Highways, Trading Standards & Licensing all now Capita RE

6. Legal Services

7. Registrars & Nationality Services

8. CCTV

9. Music Trust

10. Public Health

11. Mortuary Services.

Over the past three years our members have seen hundreds of colleagues transferred to other employers. This has often meant redundancy as the new employer has moved jobs out of the borough and Greater London to places as far afield as Belfast, Carlisle, Coventry, Southampton and Darlington.

Barnet has branded this final phase as the ‘Commissioning Council’.

On 3 March 2015 Barnet Council agreed its next Five Commissioning Plans all of which are looking at ‘Alternative Delivery Models’, jargon for working for a different employer.

The Council Services now at risk of outsourcing are:

1. Early Years – 13 Children’s Centres

2. Library Services

3. Adults & Communities services

4. Street Scene Services e.g. Waste & Recycling, Street Cleansing, Parks and Transport

5. Education & Skills and School Meals services.

2. Disappearing Council – short animation https://youtu.be/YQ5t63fSu-s

 

3. “The easyCouncil Loco-motion” https://youtu.be/Wi0bdgofsmM