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HEALTH WARNING: Barnet UNISON members “Your Rights At Work” guide.

Austerity, Local, News, Report, UNISON Campaign

This short “Your ‘Rights At Work’ guide is intended to alert all of our members working for Barnet Council to their ‘Rights at Work’

We have noticed a significant increase in case work across the Council and in some cases we are hearing reports of workers being told ‘you don’t need to involve the union’.

Please, please do not go into meetings without your trade union rep. It is much harder trying to protect “Your ‘Rights At Work’ if you have gone into earlier meetings without your union rep.

To view our “Your Rights At Work” guide click on link below.

2019.01.31 Rights at work FINAL

 

Remember this:

“If in doubt ring Barnet UNISON on 0208 359 2088 or email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk”.

 

Barnet Council Capita consultation : Complete ASAP

Austerity, Local, News, Report, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

To All Barnet UNISON members living in Barnet

I am writing to you as a member of Barnet UNISON and according to our postcode information a Barnet resident.

Barnet UNISON campaigned for over a decade to oppose mass outsourcing to Capita. Sadly the outsourcing meant hundreds of redundancies as jobs were moved out of London. The issues with Capita were not just redundancies, service issues started to emerge across a large number of former Council services.

Barnet UNISON has been campaigning in the community for the past year to bring back services in-house following the collapse of Carillion and Capita’s dramatic share price fall last February 2018.

Following the serious fraud recently committed by a Capita employee the Council has reviewed both contracts and is in the process of bring back Finance and Strategic HR as from 1 April 2019.

Other former Council services currently provided by Capita are now being reviewed to see if they should come back in-house.

Barnet UNISON is campaigning for services to come back in-house.

As a Barnet resident and UNISON member I am encouraging you to take part in Barnet Councils Capita online consultation which you can access.

The deadline to complete the consultation is Friday 15 February 2019. It is really important that Barnet Council hears from residents about Capita.

There are 12 questions including some multiple choice and written responses.

In order to encourage and assist Barnet residents to complete the Capita online consultation I strongly recommend residents read this helpful guidance produced by Barnet Alliance for Public Services here

****Important links******

 

  1. Barnet Council Capita consultation here.

 

  1. Helpful guidance here

 

Bet wishes

John Burgess

Branch Secretary.

Barnet UNISON

 

*****Important Update for Barnet UNISON Bin workers*****

Austerity, Health and Safety, Local, News, Solidarity

Important Update for Barnet UNISON Bin workers

Dear Waste and Recycling Barnet UNISON members

First of all I want to say that you are all doing an incredible job.

I know that you have had no influence on the bin collection changes and that you have tried to tell the Council about the things that are not working over the last 11 weeks. .

I know many of you simply want to be able to go to work, complete your task,  finish, and go home.

Unfortunately the bin collection changes has brought significant problems for residents and staff.

What has Barnet UNISON been doing?

Barnet UNISON has had conversations with senior manager and Leader of Barnet Council.

Unfortunately the discussions we are having about the bin changes are limited because the information we require from management has not been provided.

We used to meet with management once a week at the Oakleigh depot, this was changed by management to fortnightly and now it is over a month (12 December 2018) since we last met.

What is wrong with the rounds?

The simple answer is we don’t know.

Only earlier this week we asked for information about all the rounds in ordee we can carefully go through each round in order to try to understand what is going on,

Unfortunately senior management are unable to provide this information at this time. This is what they said at our last meeting on 12 December 2018.

What do the workers say?

Over the last 11 weeks we have received the following feedback from our members.

Not in any particular order:

  1. Because of the split depots and the traveling time to and from rounds and to and from tipping stations (Hendon and Edmonton) area based working does not appear to work.
  2. The Round sheets were wrong from day one and are still wrong, which is frustrating for the drivers.
  3. Work has been taken off some rounds, but it is still showing on round sheets, no one appears to know why this is happening?
  4. The maps were wrong from day one and are still wrong.
  5. Assisted collections are still wrong.
  6. Route and round risk assessments have not been done
  7. The mileage being walked by the loaders is too great.
  8. The rounds are too big.
  9. Putting agency staff on the same round who don’t know the borough, don’t know where they’re going and who have had no banksman training is very dangerous.
  10. The trade rounds are too big and having only one loader is very dangerous, with R.A.T.S left uncollected for weeks because a big vehicle just can’t get in the alleyways.
  11. Restricted access rounds have been biggest problem, again because big vehicles just can’t get into small locations.
  12. Flat rounds have been a big problem, again because of access problems and the sheer volume of tonnage involved.
  13. Green waste rounds have been impossible to complete even a single day because of the size of the rounds.
  14. No lessons have been learnt from previous years about Xmas collections and the sheer volume of waste and Xmas trees to be collected.
  15. Bulking area problems, not helped by off-hiring1 artic cab, deleting 1 job and using the other 2 staff to drive refuse rounds, leaving 1 worker to run site.
  16. Too much recycling for the area to cope with, so it is up to the roof and left on site overnight. Add to this tons of green waste tipped in unsuitable holding bays also left on site overnight.
  17. Not all staff trained on new vehicles.
  18. Vehicles left full overnight and not fuelled up, causing knock on effects for the morning crews, also rat damage and fitters unable to do repairs, servicing and MOT’s.
  19. When work is left uncompleted, no proper procedures in place to identify what’s been left and on what round or road, with sometimes several crews sent out to clear up only to find work has already been cleared.
  20. No way of monitoring tonnages.
  21. Supervisors and managers unable to do their jobs because they have been out loading or driving.
  22. No procedures in place to pick up loaders to drop them off to other rounds to help them or take them back to the depot.
  23. Bin deliveries regularly cancelled
  24. Clinical waste regularly cancelled
  25. Hazard round too big to complete and regularly cancelled
  26. Fear some staff working over their driving and working hours to clear up work.
  27. Staff being abused by members of the public because of their frustration
  28. Members of the public reporting they can’t get through on the help lines and when they do no one gets back to them.
  29. Staff off sick with stress, depression and injuries.
  30. Household waste left uncollected for weeks.
  31. Trade waste left uncollected for weeks
  32. Flats left uncollected for weeks
  33. Green waste left uncollected for weeks/months
  34. Drivers coming from Harrow to pick up loader or vehicles in Oakleigh depot
  35. No shunts have been available
  36. Occasions where there may be up to 6 vehicles working on the same road
  37. Saturday and Sunday working almost since the new service started.
  38. High level of agency staff at both depots
  39. Lack of keys or FOB’s or codes on round sheets
  40. Some support crews cancelled
  41. Emptying refuse, recycling and green waste into same vehicle

Barnet UNISON Bin workers please check

If there is anything we have missed or there is something you want us to bring up in our meetings with management, please contact the Barnet UNISON office on 0208 359 2088 or email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

 

 

 

 

 

Barnet UNISON January Branch Meeting Flyer

Austerity, Local, News, UNISON Campaign

Branch Meeting dates for January 2019 

All meetings start 12.30 to 1.30

 

Wednesday        9th January     Barnet House   CR4

Thursday    10th January NLBP 4 Central

Tuesday    15th January Barnet House CR2

Tuesday 29th January Barnet House CR3

Wednesday 30th January NLBP 4 Central

Thursday 7th February Barnet House 1.1

AGENDA

  1. Update on Capita coming back in-house

 

  1. Barnet Council Finances.

 

  1. Restructures

 

  1. Move to Colindale.

 

  1. AGM 13 February

 

  1. Any other business

To view flyer click on link below

2019.01.09. Jan19 meetings leaflet

100% of Barnet UNISON Bin workers agree new round changes have failed Barnet residents. #Bingate

Austerity, Local, News, Report, UNISON Campaign

Earlier this week the Leader of Barnet Council made the following public apology

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWa8lLqoezU

As a result of the apology Barnet UNISON initiated an emergency ballot of the views of our Bin worker members.

Barnet Bin workers were asked this question:

“Do you think the new round restructure is a success?”

100% of Barnet UNISON Bin workers balloted agreed the new round changes have failed Barnet residents.

Here are some of their comments:

“Simply the rounds are too big, with the addition of flats and restricted access and the result in not finishing within allocated time”

“Too big, too much work and too many Lorries in one road”

“Residents confused, rounds too big to complete, management gave us new rounds without even consulting with us”

“No leadership, no management, no consultation, no hope”

“Too much work, not put out in order for new structure too work, utter chaos”

Before 4th November 2018 all rounds were completed with very few complaints from residents

Since 4th November 2018 a large number of rounds are not being completed within allocated time, leaving bins uncollected, 1000’s of complaints from residents.

On Wednesday 28 November 2018, the Environment Committee were informed that as a result of the Bin changes the Council were paying between £15-20k in overtime per week simply to try and catch up with missed bin collections.

Could this have been avoided?  

Yes, Barnet UNISON had flagged up 49 questions provided by our Bin worker members on 5 October 2018, four weeks before the launch of the new service.

Read here https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2018/10/05/waste-recycling-round-restructure-questions/

Barnet UNISON received no responses to these questions.

Barnet UNISON can only conclude that the Council were confident that our serious and fundamental questions (from the workforce) were already addressed in their proposed new Bin service.

For the last four weeks Barnet UNISON has listened to anecdotal feedback from our members and read the comments made by the public about #Bingate.

Something is fundamentally wrong with the Bin changes. The workforce are working long hours to try and catch up but it is simply not enough. There are only four weeks to Christmas a time where there is always an increase in refuse and recycling.

#Capita commence formal redundancy consultations in #Barnet

Austerity, Local, News, Report, Solidarity

 

 

Yesterday, 22 November 2018 Capita formally commenced a 52 day consultation for the Capita Corporate Programmes team.

The proposal is cut the size of the workforce from 29 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) to 8 FTE which is a 72% cut in the workforce.

Please note: In 2013 when the Corporate Programmes Team transferred to Capita the team was 13.39 FTE. 

The staff to work in Barnet on LBB projects and programmes and work across the following teams/areas:

  • Capital
  • Transformation
  • Technology & Change
  • Customer Transformation Programme

Barnet Council have told Capita they have no requirement for a team of this size for 2019.

Barnet UNISON have raised concern that this proposal has clearly arisen as a result of closed door negotiations with Capita. The negotiations are as a result of the Councils decision to review both Capita contracts at a special Policy and Resources Committee on 19 July 2018 which:

“RESOLVED – That the Committee:

  1. Agrees to review the council’s partnership with Capita, and authorises the Chief Executive to develop a Full Business Case.
  2. Agrees that the proposed strategic aims underpinning the Full Business Case should be to:
  3. a) Deliver high quality services;
  4. b) Secure best value for money for Barnet’s residents; and
  5. c) Strengthen the council’s strategic control of services.
  6. Notes the three options identified and considered in more detail in paragraphs 2.4 to 2.7 and Tables 1 to 4.
  7. Agrees that option 2 – realigning the CSG and DRS contracts to bring back in house those services listed in Table 5 – is the proposed preferred option to be tested in the Full Business Case.
  8. Agrees that option 3 is fully tested and considered in the Full Business Case.
  9. Agrees that the Full Business Case should review the joint venture arrangement for the delivery of Development and Regulatory Services.
  10. Agrees that the Full Business Case should be considered by Policy & Resources Committee, for referral to Council for final decision.”

(Source: http://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=692&MId=9725&Ver=4 )

Barnet UNISON has registered concern that this may be the first of a series of redundancy meetings for Capita employees working in other services provided by Capita as a result of negotiations with Barnet Council. We are also concerned that this could be viewed as an attempt to circumvent any TUPE transfers of staff back to the Council.

 

Barnet House Hub Proposal – Barnet UNISON

Austerity, Local, News, Report

Barnet Council long term accommodation strategy involved staff moving to new build accommodation in Colindale.

The plan was to exit the Barnet House lease early (it expires in 2030) as the Landlord has plans to develop the site. There may even have been a financial payment from the Landlord to request the Council to leave early.

Barnet Council pay approximately £750k rent on the building.

However earlier this year the Landlords plans for Barnet House were rejected

‘Dog kennel’ flats in Barnet will be 40% smaller than Travelodge room

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/mar/27/dog-kennel-flats-barnet-house-smaller-than-travelodge-room

Barnet UNISONs proposal is for Barnet House to be one of the community hubs for staff to work in. Depending on demand there could be opportunities for the Council to rent out office accommodation in order to raise additional income. I understand the cost per square foot at Barnet House is a great deal cheaper NLBP. The site is ideally located to all forms of transport. Barnet UNISON is confident that working from a Barnet House hub would also be popular option for staff across a number of employers and would enable continued access for residents this side of the borough.

Barnet UNISON has submitted this proposal to the Council and will update our members when we have a response.

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