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Barnet UNISON Press Release: 18 March 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: UNISON strike ballot of members working for Barnet Council opens today.

Today UNISON, one of the UK’s largest trade unions, serving more than 1.3 million members, opened their strike ballot today.

The Trades Dispute with London Borough of Barnet is over staff remaining in employment with Barnet Council.

The ballot is a direct response to the five commissioning projects agreed at the 3 March 2015 Full Council which would mean outsourcing the majority of the workforce into a variety of alternative delivery models.

The Ballot opens 18th March and closes 8th April.

At the infamous Full Council meeting on 3 March 2015, the Conservative Administration voted through the decision to explore other options for directly delivering council services. The services involved are as follows:

· Libraries

· Adults & Communities

· Children’s Centres

· Street Scene services

· Education & Skills and School Meals

UNISON estimates that this will mean upwards of 80% of the workforce are likely to be working for a different employer. According to a recent Barnet Council committee report there are only 1,466 directly employed permanent staff.

UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said:

“In December 2014 our branch conducted a poll of our members which produced the following feedback. 87% of our members want to remain employees of the London Borough of Barnet. 61% of our members said as a result of knowing they could be outsourced they are seriously looking to find employment elsewhere; 96% of our members expressed concern about being outsourced and 81% of members said morale was bad in their workforce. Feedback from the Poll and subsequent UNISON meetings reconfirms our members wish to remain Council employees which is why we are recommending a Yes vote in our strike ballot.”

Notes to Editors.

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

Background:

1. Barnet Full Council 3 March 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCOl8-Z-1vA&feature=youtu.be

2. The legal questions raised by One Barnet

http://www.lawgazette.co.uk/law/practice-points/the-legal-questions-raised-by-one-barnet/5037912.fullarticle

3. The One Barnet case heralds local government’s disappearing act

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/05/one-barnet-case-heralds-local-governments-disappearing-act

4. Strike ballot as Tory-run Bromley council plans to dramatically slash its workforce

http://www.unitetheunion.org/news/strike-ballot-as-tory-run-bromley-council-plans-to-dramatically-slash-its-workforce/

IMPORTANT NEWS: OVERPAYMENTS

PLEASE SEE MESSAGE SENT OUT TO BARNET COUNCIL STAFF ON FRIDAY 13 MARCH. THE MESSAGE CONFIRMS THAT STAFF WILL NOT HAVE ANY MONEY DEDUCTED FROM THEIR PAY.

Sent: 13 March 2015 15:36

To: AllStaff

Subject: Weekly message from the Acting Chief Operating Officer – Staff Pay

“You will have received an email from ‘First Team’ on 10 March entitled ‘National Pay Awards – pay adjustments’.  The email sets out details of the national pay award for local government staff and talks of the need for the Council to ‘recover overpayments’.  In my role as Acting Chief Operating Officer, I have listened to the views of staff and reflected on this.  As a consequence, I have decided that the Council should not go ahead with the recovery of these payments and, as a result, you will not see deductions to your pay, as the email suggests.

The outcome of the national pay award is that staff will receive a 2.2% pay rise, backdated to January 2015.  The Council made a decision last year to award staff a pay increase of 1% from April 2014, on the premise that the most likely outcome of the national negotiations would be a 1% pay rise backdated to April 2014.  We took this decision in good faith – ahead of the outcome of the national award – in recognition that staff had been subject to a number of years of pay freezes.

However, because the national pay award was only backdated to January rather than April, it means that the Council paid staff an additional 1% more between April – January.  I have come to the conclusion that – since it was a proactive decision by the Council to make the award last April – the Council should stick to that and not seek to recover this from your pay.  As ever, if you have a payroll query please contact HR payroll team.

In other news, our colleagues from the Adults Integrated Quality in Care Homes team attended the Skills for Care Accolades Awards this week, being shortlisted for most effective approach to integration and innovation. The CSG Procurement team were also shortlisted for the Local Government Chronicle efficiency award earlier this week. While they didn’t ultimately win, these are both fantastic achievements and demonstrate the breadth of quality services being delivered across the borough.”

Have a good weekend

John Hooton

 

Interim Chief Operating Officer

Barnet UNISON Press Release: 11 March 2015 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: UNISON to issue a strike ballot to Barnet Commissioning Council workforce

UNISON, one of the UK’s largest trade unions, serving more than 1.3 million members, wrote to Barnet Council on 11 March 2015 notifying them of our intention to conduct a strike ballot of the Council workforce. This ballot is a direct response to the five commissioning projects agreed at the 3 March 2105 Full Council which would mean outsourcing of the majority of the workforce.

The Ballot opens 18th March and closes 8th April.

At the infamous Full Council meeting on 3 March 2015, the Conservative Administration voted through the decision to explore other options for directly delivering council services. The services involved are as follows:

· Libraries

· Adults & Communities

· Children’s Centres

· Street Scene services

· Education & Skills and School Meals

UNISON estimates that this will mean upwards of 80% of the workforce are likely to be working for a different employer. According to a recent Barnet Council committee report there are only 1,466 directly employed permanent staff.

It is important to note that the in-house service option for eleven out of twelve outsourcing projects have been rejected by Barnet Council over the last three years. UNISON has, over the last six years, tried to engage with Barnet Council over the future delivery of council services without success. In-house services, whilst previously being high performing and low cost, have meant nothing.

Barnet Council abandoned its role of directly delivering services when it adopted the mass outsourcing EasyCouncil One Barnet Programme back in November 2010.

We now have first-hand experience of what happens following outsourcing and even councillors of all parties are openly critical of some the services they are receiving from Capita.

The shocking Care Quality Commission (CQC) report on Your Choice Barnet is more evidence of what happens when terms & conditions are cut and are not taken seriously. It is clear from the report that service users were put at risk as a consequence of YCB’s attempts to deliver the seriously flawed One Barnet Business Case.

In committee meeting after committee meeting the public has had to listen to talk of difficult decisions, yet the real difficult decision would be to reject the austerity budget process and refuse to cut and outsource services. Elected members were elected to serve their communities and not impose policies that will see even greater inequalities.

Contrary to the spin that outsourcing protects frontline services and guarantees savings, what all the evidence clearly documents is that the taxpayer ultimately ends up paying the extra costs whilst service quality deteriorates.

Austerity is driving the outsourcing agenda not just in Barnet but across the UK and Europe. Whilst other councils are also considering mass outsourcing Barnet is racing ahead and appears to be in a race with Northampton & Bromley Councils which are also doing the same.

UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said:

“Barnet Council staff are an incredible, resourceful & understanding workforce, who have been subjected to unacceptable levels of change and stress. The adoption of the five commissioning outsourcing projects makes it very clear to all staff that the Council is not interested in retaining in-house services. This is an ideological assault on public services and our branch is drawing a line in the sand by declaring this ballot. Austerity politics is driving an anti-in-house services agenda which we reject and are asking our members to reject.”

Notes to Editors.

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

Background:

1. Barnet Full Council 3 March 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCOl8-Z-1vA&feature=youtu.be

2. Barnet: The Disappearing Council animation.

3. CQC inspection report 3 March 2015

http://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-112848964

4. Strike ballot as Tory-run Bromley council plans to dramatically slash its workforce

http://www.unitetheunion.org/news/strike-ballot-as-tory-run-bromley-council-plans-to-dramatically-slash-its-workforce/

5. Council to commission out child protection in the biggest outsourcing ‘in a generation’

http://www.communitycare.co.uk/2015/02/24/council-commission-child-protection-biggest-outsourcing-generation/

 

New Year message for Barnet UNISON members

Dear Members

Five years of “Austerity” has delivered a direct attack on public services and Council services have taken the biggest hit.

The Autumn Statement announced that there are going to be bigger CUTS to all public services.

Once again Councils are the biggest target.

The level of CUTS & outsourcing in response to the Autumn Statement are so great that unless there is a coordinated national response from the Trade Union movement, Council workers will disappear either as a consequence of redundancies and/or outsourcing.

No doubt, short term solutions such as Mutual’s & Social Enterprises will be offered up as an alternative to straight forward privatisation.

HOWEVER, these options will simply not be sustainable and will, like the 1990’s Bus Company Mutual’s, all be taken over by private contractors.

In the name of austerity our members and workers across the UK are being targeted.

“Northamptonshire County Council reduce its workforce from 4,000 to 150 people in a bid to carve £148 million out of its budget within the next five years.”

http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/local/budget-cuts-of-148-million-will-result-in-northamptonshire-county-council-outsourcing-95-per-cent-of-staff-1-6463894

Camden £73 million cuts

http://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/content/news/2014/december-2014/camden-sets-out-73m-savings-plan-to-balance-budget.en

Cardiff council planning £32m cuts in 2015/16 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-30058107

Birmingham city council to axe thousands of jobs as part of ‘dire cuts’

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/dec/10/birmingham-city-council-axe-thousands-jobs-cuts

Manchester facing £60m council cuts – while 20 areas in the south GAIN spending power

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchester-facing-60m-council-cuts-8071156

Funding crisis leaves Newcastle facing ‘impossible cuts’ and social unrest

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/nov/24/funding-crisis-newcastle-impossible-cuts-social-unrest

Coventry City Council’s plans  for service cuts ‘horrify’ residents

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-30173689

Leeds faces up to ‘brutal’ council cuts

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/top-stories/leeds-faces-up-to-brutal-council-cuts-1-6994471

Business leaders hear impact of £102 million council cuts

http://www.theargus.co.uk/business/11654697.Business_leaders_hear_impact_of___102_million_council_cuts/

The Autumn Statement makes it very clear that public services funding will be reduced to 1930’s levels. I have checked, there were not many public services in 1930’s, which does mean the end of local government. However,   this is not stopping with local government as 70% of NHS contracts have already been handed to the private sector.

http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Public-Sector-News/obr-warns-a-million-public-sector-jobs-will-be-lost-by-2019

This is a critical moment in the future of public services.

You do not need to have a degree in economics to see the pattern of the attack. If services are outsourced they are done so on the basis of reducing Pay, Pensions and Terms & Conditions. Meanwhile the services we all need and enjoy will become extinct or attract charges.

No one is safe, except for the consultants who earn lucrative sums of public money from peddling “Austerity”.

FINALLY now the cries of “no more” are coming from Council Leaders who now see the end of local democracy. The first cull of councillors will be the reduction of numbers per ward but it is inevitable that if “Austerity” continues this will mean the end of local Council elections. After all why do we need Councillors if services are no longer under local control or have ceased to exist?

The end game of “Austerity” will see local democracy replaced by big corporate multi-nationals and next it will be free to finish the job by taking control of the NHS.

It does not have to be this way.

The Trade Union movement does stand in the way of the “Austerity” propaganda which is why the Coalition Government are constantly seeking to restrict the ‘rights of the workers’ through anti-trade union legislation.

Now is the time for a coordinated national response from the Trade Union movement.

This is not just a view of a few angry union reps but a repeated question from members who see what has happened to other colleagues and see what is looming for them and their services.

The Autumn Statement is a declaration of war on public services and the workforce that delivers them. Across the public services there have been pockets of resistance, some local and some national, to the concerted attempt to reduce public services. We have seen Firefighters, Teachers, Lecturers, NHS & Council workers take some strike action in the last five years; but it has not been coordinated across the whole of the Trade Union movement.

The Trade Union movement was built on solidarity and working together in the face of adversity. Mitigating the Cuts, Redundancies & Outsourcing is not a sustainable strategy.

The challenge has been thrown down by “Austerity” and it is for all members of the Trade Union movement to demand a change, “doing the same” is no longer an option.

In Barnet we have been on the frontline of a political ideology which views in-house services as inferior to outsourcing, despite the evidence to the contrary.

Our branch will continue to promote the in-house services and seek to defend our members’ Pensions, Pay and Terms & Conditions.

In the case where the employer refuses to change its approach to delivering Council services we will call on our members to resist these attacks by calling for an industrial response.

Best wishes

John Burgess

Branch Secretary

Barnet Council response to UNISON 13 Questions

Barnet UNISON submitted 13 questions to senior management in order to understand how much evidence had been gathered in relation to this proposed outsourcing project.

You can view our questions here http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/Barnet%20Education%20Skills%20Update.pdf which are contained within an update report we provided for our members in December 2014.

BELOW ARE RESPONSE TO OUR QUESTIONS

In relation to questions 1 and 2, please find below a table that shows the income and an indication of the number of schools buying each of the traded services in each of the last three years. I’ve attached the traded service booklet where you’ll see that some of the services on offer have a range of products for schools to buy, some require schools to buy a package and some are available to spot purchase. The figures in the attached table give a reasonable indication of the current and previous buy back but obviously at any one time, the number of customers vary.

Service area	12/13		13/14		14/15
	Gross income	Number of schools purchasing at least one element of the service	Gross income	Number of schools purchasing at least one element of the service	Gross Income (projected)	Number of schools purchasing at least one element of the service
BPSI	£726k	Primary: 90 Secondary: 3	£856k	Primary: 97 Secondary: 3	£761K	Primary: 94 Secondary: 3
NQT’s	£124	All schools: n/a	£131k	All schools: n/a	£135k	All schools: at least 21
Catering	£6,800k	Primary: 72 Secondary: 10	£7,287k	Primary: 77 Secondary: 11	£7,134K	Primary: 75 Secondary: 12
Ed psych (incl behaviour support)	£112k	All schools** : n/a	£80k	All schools** : 40	£286K	Primary: 90* Secondary: 12* All schools**46
EWO	£44k	Primary: n/a Secondary: 4	£64k	Primary: 81 Secondary: 4	£118k	Primary: 81 Secondary: 4
Foreign Language Ass	£182	Primary: 2 Secondary: 12	£166k	Primary: 2 Secondary: 13	£165k	Primary: 2 Secondary: 12
Governors clerking***	£287	All schools:76	£300k	All schools: 74	£295k	All schools: 62
NLSIN	£67	Primary: 167 Secondary: 24 Special: 14	£75k	Primary: 124 Secondary: 21 Special: 12	£56k	Primary: 110 Secondary: 19 Special:11
14-19	£85k	Secondary: n/a	£125k	Secondary: 5	£85k	Secondary: 6

*education psychology service only – new service 2015/16

**behaviour support

*** purchasing at least 3 meetings

Each year, the customer base also varies as new schools are opened (five free schools in Barnet) or as schools amalgamate as has recently happened at Edgware infant and juniors, St Joseph’s infant and juniors and Underhill infant and juniors. The current customer base includes;

· Nursery schools = 4

· Primary schools = 88

· Secondary schools = 24

· All through = 1

· Special schools =4

· Pupil referral units =3

For the table above, primary covers nursery and primary special, unless indicated. Secondary includes PRU’s and secondary special, unless otherwise indicated.

In relation to question 3, there is only one Barnet school that does not buy any traded service at all from the council – Millbrook Park Academy has recently opened and as it fills, it may choose to buy services from the council in the future.

In relation to question 4, we do not hold information that would indicate why any particular school has chosen to no longer purchase council traded services.

In relation to question 5, we do not know hold information about what services schools buy from other providers or the providers that each school chooses to purchase services from.

In relation to questions 6 and 7, each year schools decide on the traded services they wish to buy from the council. During our consultation, schools have indicated that their decision to purchase will be determined by the quality and value for money of any service offered. The quality of the offer and the value for money of any new services will be for any future delivery model to develop and market directly to schools.

In relation to question 8, we do not keep a list of the competitors for the council’s traded services.

In relation to question 9, the straightforward answer is that to avoid service reductions, the Education and Skills service overall needs to generate savings of £1,550m over five years through efficiencies and/or growth. In relation to income through growth, it is assumed that income represents 20% of any additional monies bought in through increasing or new trade.

In relation to question 10, the financial modelling that will be set out in the outline business case will model potential income over the next five years for catering, other traded services, part traded services and non-traded services. It will model growth from selling more services to existing school customers and to new school customers, selling services to other councils and developing new services for both schools and councils.

Questions 11,12 and 13 will be explored during any procurement process.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 81% of Barnet Council workforce to be outsourced!

Barnet UNISON Press Release: 18 November 2014

Later this week the Environment & Adults Safeguarding Committee are due vote on decisions to begin the process of outsourcing Council staff working in Street Scene (refuse & recycling, street cleansing, parks etc) and Adult Social Care (social workers).

These decisions follow earlier Committee meetings which also recommended outsourcing.

The numbers of staff to be outsourced are as follows:

· Street Scene 478.42 posts.

· Adult Social Care 362.75 posts.

· Education & Catering 336 posts.

· Early Years Children’s Centres 170 posts.

· Library Service 150 posts.

Full details of Barnet Council Committee decisions can be found in our latest report here.

John Burgess UNISON Branch Secretary said: “We have already been through massive changes with a third of the Council staff outsourced under the One Barnet Programme (1371). BUT this latest set of proposals is going to hit staff particularly hard and will have a detrimental effect on the ability of Barnet Council to recruit new staff.

If all of the above services are outsourced the Council will have outsourced 2878 staff leaving behind a small cohort of 332 staff. Our branch has unfortunately had to deal with a lot of outsourcing in the past two years and in almost all cases it has meant cuts & redundancies for the staff transferring and led to the emergence of a two- tier workforce. In response to this shocking news we have organised a public meeting on 26 November at the Greek Cypriot Centre, North Finchley to discuss the implications for our members and council services.”

End.

Notes to Editors.

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

Background:

Between January 2012 and October 2013 Barnet Council outsourced the following services:

Adult Social care, Parking services, Legal services, Customer Services, Estates, Finance, Human Resources and Payroll, IT Infrastructure and Support, Procurement, Revenues and Benefits, Commercial Services, Housing Options, Building Control, Planning Administration (Development Management),Strategic Planning and Regeneration, Transport, Highways Services, Land Charges, Environmental Health, Trading Standards and Licensing, Cemetery and Crematorium, Barnet Registration and Nationality Service.

In September 2012 Barnet Council employed 3,200 staff (excluding maintained school staff)

In September 2014 Barnet Council employs 1829.71 staff (excluding maintained school staff)

Links:

1. 81% of Barnet staff facing outsourcing an Update on the “Disappearing Council”

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/2014.11.14%20DisappearingCouncil.pdf

2. Barnet libraries threatened with closure as council earmarks £2.8m cuts

http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/politics/barnet_libraries_threatened_with_closure_as_council_earmarks_2_8m_cuts_1_3828729

3. 26 November 2014 public meeting http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/26%20November%202014%20Public%20meeting.pdf

 

Introduction:

After a series of outsourcing under One Barnet Programme our branch has been following the decisions of the new committee system at Barnet Council.

The data reveals a shocking headline whereby 81% (1497 out *1,829.71 posts) of the current Barnet Council workforce is now facing outsourcing. Whilst decisions on what type of outsourcing will be selected, the lack of in house option means that staff will no longer be employees of Barnet Council.

To view the details behind the headline click here

To view full report please click here

Recommendations

1. Barnet UNISON strongly recommends that in-house provision is included in each option.

2. It is essential that a comprehensive risk register is compiled immediately and forms part of the public and staff consultation so that the risks can be fully understood in assessing the options.

3. Assurances are required to both the public and staff that the wider role of volunteers is only a short-term measure.

4. A full equality impact assessment is undertaken to identify the effect of the Library options and the operational proposals

The Joint Trade Unions have set up the following Petition which we are encouraging everyone to support.

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-our-outstanding-nursery-schools-in-the-london-borough-of-barnet

Moss Hall Nursery facing 50 per cent funding cut

http://www.barnet-today.co.uk/news.cfm?id=11019

Campaigners launch petition to save nursery in Barnet

http://www.itv.com/news/london/update/2014-10-20/teachers-petition-to-save-moss-hall-nursery-from-budget-cuts/

Save Moss Hall Nursery From Drastic Proposals

http://www.change.org/p/save-moss-hall-nursery

 

 

17 October 2014

Dear Colleagues

The Council will announce the options under consideration for the Library Service on the 20th of October. These plans were originally to be disclosed to Library staff at meeting to be held at NLBP.

UNISON welcomed this meeting as an indication that the consultation process with staff would be conducted in an equable and meaningful manner.

However the Council has since decided to call off this meeting and replace it with a series of onsite meetings on the 20th of October, each lasting half an hour.

By calling off the meeting of all Library staff the Council are;

· Not treating Library workers in an equal manner to our colleagues in other Council services, who have been able to attend service-wide meetings on their futures.

· Hampering the provision of Trade Union representation at Consultation meetings with staff. It will be difficult for UNISON reps to attend each of the on-site meetings, due to other commitments as we deal with a number of Council initiatives and an increased level of casework. This is coupled with a reluctance by the Council to release reps for trade union duties.

· Holding meetings at several sites may distort the message the Council wishes to impart, as colleagues at one site receive the news and pass on their interpretations to staff at other sites. It is in the interest of all parties concerned that this does not happen.

• The half hour allocated to each meeting is too short for sufficient explanation by the Council and will not provide adequate time for staff to raise questions.

UNISON have called for the reinstatement of the all-staff meeting but have been rebuffed by the Council. Therefore we are raising it as a point of dispute in the Council’s highest industrial relations committee.

Yours sincerely,

Hugh Jordan John Burgess

Libraries Convenor                                                                 Branch Secretary

 

Branch Health and Safety Officer