Barnet UNISON

Conservative Councillor Gordon speaking at Safeguarding Overview and Scrutiny Committee 27.11.2013

Video clip is here http://youtu.be/ko-QvCBAMCY

Below is a transcript from the above video clip.

I minute into this video he starts…….

“theres a huge trade union input into what is going on into the objections. Whereas we live in a free society and people are entitled to express their views there’s no doubt that some of the views have been expressed in a very sincere and genuine & personal way and I would also endorse that mood by members of the committee. I am very sceptical about the trade union input because we know…we know unions have their own agenda which is a political agenda and are known …unions are known to have a left wing agenda…I suspect that whereas there are some very genuine criticism to be made a lot of those criticisms are a little bit politically motivated. I will view them in that rather suspicious way.

Updated Key Facts

UNISON have been informed the LBB annual Council staff pay bill 2013/14 (excluding schools) is approximately £55,000,000

The current Trade Union Facility Time (UNISON & GMB) cost for 2013/14 is £112,000

The proposed cut of £80,000 in Trade Union Facility Time for 2014/15 leaves £32,000

The Trade Union Facility Time as % of pay bill in 2013/14 equates to 0.20%

The Trade Union Facility Time as % of pay bill in 2014/15 equates to 0.06%

The reduction of 80K for 2014/15 from 112K represents massive 71.4% cut from the current (2013/14) budget.

Trade Union Facility time has already been cut by 66% from the level agreed under the former Barnet Council Conservative Leader Mike Freer.

On 1 April 2014 all facility time will be removed from Barnet UNISON.

Today our branch were informed that staff received letters today which stated:

“The Board considered our proposals on 12 November 2013 and agreed that, in view of the on-going financial pressures on the organisation, that enhanced payments for weekend, bank holiday and night working be removed. 

I am therefore writing to confirm that, following Board approval, the original proposals of 1 March 2013 to remove enhanced payments for weekend, bank holiday and night working will be implemented from 1 January 2014.   Enhanced pay will continue for Christmas Day only along with a payment for sleep in duties.”

What about the financial pressures for our low paid care workers, this will do nothing to aid retention of high quality care staff.

 

Councillor Robert Rams speaking at Budget Scrutiny 26.11.2013

Video clip is here http://youtu.be/-7dTF6Kmej8

Below is a transcript from the above video clip.

“ I come from a completely different standpoint on this I think that they should be able to do their job without any funding whatsoever ….I think there are lots of examples of councils, authorities across London across the country that provide no funding for activity and I believe we should be moving to a model were we don’t provide any funding for union activity, I think as I stated before if we are looking to make cuts out there, there are some difficult decisions, I think it is clear area  we can make even more savings, the proposals provide a generous amount of funding, over generous in my personal view towards the service I think as we go forward and tougher decisions are made we will get to the point where we will remove all funding.………………………

I don’t think the work they do needs to be funded by us, they do some excellent work and as I said they are some other authorities I organisations across London, but trade unions provide an excellent service to their members by no means do I denigrate their work the unions do, they provide an excellent service to their members……….I think there is enough ability for them to do it whilst carrying on doing their work for the council”

Key Facts

 

• UNISON have been informed the LBB annual Council staff pay bill 2013/14 (excluding schools) is approximately £55,000,000
• The current Trade Union Facility Time cost for 2013/14 is £112,000
• The proposed cut of £80,000 in Trade Union Facility Time for 2014/15 leaves £32,000
• The Trade Union Facility Time as % of pay bill in 2013/14 equates to 0.20%
• The Trade Union Facility Time as % of pay bill in 2014/15 equates to 0.06%
• The reduction of 80K for 2014/15 from 112K represents massive 71.4% cut from the current (2013/14) budget.
• Trade Union Facility time has already been cut by 66% from the level agreed under the former Barnet Council Conservative Leader Mike Freer.

 

 

UNISON request Capita to withdraw their proposals

Dear Capita

I have a major concern regarding the lawfulness of the proposals to make employees redundant in the forthcoming TUPE transfer. Individuals who are made redundant will clearly be dismissed for a reason connected with the transfer which will be automatically unfair unless there is an economic, technical or organisational reason entailing a change in the workforce for the dismissals.

Whilst redundancy consisting in a reduction in head count may constitute such a reason the EAT in the case of Abellio London Limited v CentreWest London Buses UKEAT/0283/11has held that place of work redundancy does not. The forthcoming dis­missals will therefore be unfair and I therefore invite you to withdraw the proposal to dis­miss.

Best wishes

John Burgess

Branch Secretary

 

Barnet UNISON

UNISON attended a packed Safeguarding Committee on Wednesday 27 November 2013, where residents, services users, parents and carers all spoke in favour of bringing back tour Choice service back in house. For the first time ever UNISON was invited to speak. Initially this request was refused but it went to the vote and UNISON was allowed to speak. Our Branch Chair Helen Davies who has been the UNISON lead on consultation spoke eloquently about the plight of our members.

Later in the meeting a councillor tried to suggest that all the resident activity was all down to the trade unions who are “socialists with a political ideology!” It felt like we had gone back in time to the Victorian era courtesy of the Dr Who Tardis, by the way did anyone see last weeks episode…….

A number or residents and a service user spoke and you can read a full account of the meeting here on Mrs Angry’s Blog here

A sister of one of the services users spoke to the committee had this to say

“in the eight years he has been using Flightways he has had a the safety of a comfortable , intellectually stimulating , creatively stimulating environment and he is incredibly worried that he is going to be thrown back into a situation he was in before he was able to use Flightways of being bussed around from place to place, from a library to a garden centre, from a supermarket to a pub and a fish and chip shop……..the question is …..Can you reassure my brother and his friends that they will have a place that they can go to, a centre they can go to every day where they can feel safe and comfortable?”

The response from the Council was incredible you can listen to it 3 minutes 50 seconds into this video here

You can view the statements made to the Committee here

 

Barnet UNISON Press Release: “Outsourcing services for adults with disabilities is not working in Barnet”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 25 November

On Wednesday 27 November at 7 pm in Hendon Town Hall Barnet Councillors on the Safeguarding Overview and Scrutiny Committee will consider a Task & Finish Report on the future of the failing outsourced One Barnet experiment Your Choice Barnet (YCB) which provides services for adults with disabilities.

In March this year YCB began consultation with trade unions as a result of serious financial difficulties. The service had to bailed out by publicly owned Barnet Homes to the tune of £1million along with proposals for a restructure, serious cuts to pay and terms and conditions of the workforce.

In July a Task & Finish Group was given the brief to review YCB.

Barnet UNISON and Parent/Carers Group CADDSS both made submissions to the Task & Finish Group.

UNISON has seen the report which fails to address the serious financial viability of this service.

UNISON has four key recommendations to all councillors on Safeguarding Overview and Scrutiny Committee

1. Bring back the service in-house.

2. Agree with the unions a time table to achieve a sustainable workforce by substantially increasing staff working with permanent employment contracts and reducing the numbers of casual staff.

3. Develop a robust framework for consulting with carers and service users on changes to the services including staffing issues.

4. Shelve the benchmarking exercise of salaries in order to improve staff morale and sustain high quality service.

John Burgess UNISON Branch Secretary said: Barnet Council “Task and Finish report does not provide convincing evidence on which to have any confidence that the LATC will be able to achieve a safe, sustainable and high quality service. It is critical to the future of these services that common sense is applied as opposed to political dogma. Bring these services back in-house and bring peace of mind to parents/carers and secure a future for service users.”

**** Ends *****

Notes to Editors.

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

Links

Background

In February 2012 Barnet Council transferred learning disability and physical and sensory impairment services for adults to a Local Authority Trading Company (LATC) together with Barnet Homes, the Arms Length Management Organisation managing the council housing stock. About 160 staff (145.6 Full Time Equivalents) in Adults services transferred to the LATC.

1. UNISON response to Your Choice Task & Finish report

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/UNISON%20response%20to%20Task%20and%20Finish%20Report.pdf

2. ‘The way out of financial crisis’ by Professor Dexter Whitfield

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/CADDSS%20analysis%20.pdf

3. UNISON response to Your Choice Consultation paper

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/Full%20UNISON%20response%20to%20YOUR%20CHOICE%20May%202013.pdf

4. The Secret Cuts: Part One, Social Care http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/05/secret-cuts-part-one-social-care

5. Your Choice board walks out after being lobbied by campaigners http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/10452438.Your_Choice_board_walks_out/

Executive summary

The Task and Finish Group recognises that the long-term viability of this LATC as a provider of adult social care is a largely financial question (rather than a service quality question) that will be answered through realising cost-saving measures, income sustainability and growth. However, the Task and Finish report does not provide convincing evidence on which to have any confidence that the LATC will be able to achieve a safe, sustainable and high quality service.

We welcome the notion of a staff register; however, the report does not go far enough to address the staffing issues.

To view full report click here

To view letter to Chair of Task & Finish Group click here