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London Living Wage to be implemented for Barnet Council staff

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London Living Wage to be implemented for Barnet Council staff

In the same Barnet Press article it reports:

“Mr Cornelius also said that salaries of the remaining in-house employees would be brought up to the living wage, which in London is £8.55 an hour, £2.36 above the national minimum wage.”

This is a GOOD NEWS story for all workers working for Barnet and earning less than the Living Wage.

Four years ago our branch tried to convince the Council that staff working for private contractors (at this time it was cleaners) should be on the London Living Wage. UNISON took the matter to the then Leader of the Council Mike Freer. A promise was made to look into the issue but nothing was done. At the time no council staff were earning less than the London Living Wage.

But now, four years on nearly a thousand workers are earning less than the London Living Wage.

You can read the details in a report going to the Remuneration Committee on 14 October 2013 see HERE

This is clear evidence of how fast the cost of living crisis and freeze on pay has impacted on the lives of council workers. In the Council report it states

“3. CORPORATE PRIORITIES AND POLICY CONSIDERATIONS

3.1. The Council believes that no-one should do a hard day’s work for less than they can live on, and that all our staff deserve to be paid at least the Living Wage. Council considers that if everyone in London on low pay were paid at least the living wage it could potentially save the government money by increasing the tax base and reducing spend on welfare benefits.

3.2. In addition, the Council believes that the added benefit to the Council of paying at least the living wage include increased productivity and lower staff turnover, which would reduce recruitment costs.”

It is our view that all employers who currently pay their staff below the London Living Wage should recognise the benefits and make plans to adopt the above statement.

Our branch will be writing to all of the employers delivering public services in Barnet to join Barnet Council implement the London Living Wage. We will be asking the Council to work with UNISON to ensure contractors for example cleaning service are all paid the London Living Wage.

If you have never heard about the London Living Wage and want to know more read here

UNISON call on Capita to reverse mass redundancies in Barnet

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Monday 7 October 2013

Dear Mark

Re: Capita Customer and Support Group (CSG) Redundancy consultation

I am writing to you in your role as Partnership Director, Capita which I understands covers both contracts with Barnet Council. I am taking this unusual step to make a direct plea to you and your senior management team to pause and consider if there is a possibility that the proposals which will be set out to staff and the trade unions today can be changed.

I have made it my business to study Capita Plc and there can be no doubt that your organisation continues to enjoy massive financial success as you win contract after contract across the public sector. In an article I read earlier this week in the Guardian it stated “Capita’s win rate is currently better than one in two.”

I know from other contracts Capita have won that there has been a commitment to deliver jobs in the local community. I recognise that this was not stipulated in the OJEU notice but the sheer size of job losses means it would be seriously negligent of UNISON not to try to engage your organisation in consultation about delivering a different service delivery model; one which would lead to maintaining and growing jobs in our community. Considering that already almost a third of the posts were vacant on the point of the transfer must provide financial opportunities to revise some of your proposals which would lead to more redundancies.

Today I along with a number of UNISON reps will be attending a number of Capita CSG service presentations to staff which will detail the Capita CSG transformation plan which unfortunately will mean redundancies for a large number of staff. This news will come as no surprise to staff as this outcome was made known last November 2012 once Capita was named as preferred bidder. In the TUPE consultations it became a little clearer as to where the redundancies would be made both through re-location and restructuring of services.

At some point today Capita will provide details of each transformation plan to the trade unions and begin a 90 day consultation. I have had an opportunity to study the Capita Transformation plan which sets out the plan to transfer & restructure services. Unless I have misunderstood the purposes by which Capita are consulting it has always been UNISON’s view that this is still a proposal. Indeed in the TUPE consultation it was pointed out to UNISON on a number of occasions that these were proposals and as such Capita could not enter into consultation until after transfer.

It is UNISON’s view that meaningful consultation must be undertaken at a time when proposals are still at a formative stage. It must include sufficient reasons for particular proposals to allow those consulted to give intelligent consideration and an intelligent response; adequate time must be given for this purpose; and the product of consultation must be conscientiously taken into account when the ultimate decision is taken. It is therefore our view that there is opportunity in the consultation period to be able to provide a considered response once we have all the facts which may impact on Capita’s final decision with regards the future for CSG services.

If this is not your understanding of the consultation process please can you let me know?

In the meantime please provide the following:

· The current CSG staffing establishment number including all filled & vacant posts

· A commitment that no CSG posts will be transferred to any of the proposed relocations before the end of consultation.

· A written response to UNISON’s request for CSG staff at risk of redundancy to be given access to vacant jobs within Barnet Council and Capita Plc.

· A copy of each of the proposed transformation plans for each of the services areas.

I look forward to hearing back from you in due course.

Yours sincerely

John Burgess

Branch Secretary Barnet UNISON

CC: Paul Pindar (Capita Chief Executive), Dave Prentis (UNISON General Secretary), Richard Cornelius (Leader, Barnet Council), Andrew Travers (Chief Executive, Barnet Council), UNISON members.

Barnet UNISON Press Release: “From hard working families to ‘scroungers’ – Capita redundancies

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For Immediate Release: Monday 7 October 2013

Today Capita Plc announced it plans relocate Barnet Council services across the UK which will mean hundreds of jobs lost to the community of Barnet. The Capita proposal will seek to relocate services to Blackburn, Carlisle, Belfast and Sheffield to name but a few. Details of all the Capita relocations are contained within the recently released Capita contract and can be viewed here

Last November 2012 Capita Plc won this contract to deliver the following services Customer services; Finance; Human Resources; Procurement; Estates; Information Services; Revenue and Benefits; and Corporate Programmes. The transfer was supposed to take place on 1 April 2013, but was delayed due to the Judicial Review challenge made by Maria Nash, a Barnet resident.

Capita Plc took over control of the contract on 1 September 2013.

Over the next 90 days Capita Plc will be carrying out consultation with staff and trade unions. Details of their transformation plan can be found on the Council website here.

John Burgess, Barnet UNISON Branch Secretary, said: “We have all been dreading this day coming. Capita must have made a fortune already in terms of redundancy payment savings as a third of the work force have managed to escape to other councils in order to avoid being made redundant as their jobs are moved up north. I speak to staff working in these services on a daily basis I have known many of them for over ten years so it is going to be painful sitting in with them when the news is broken today. In the current economic climate I know our members are petrified of being made redundant. I wonder how long it will be before these hardworking staff are labelled as “scroungers”, soon to be unemployed simply because their jobs were exported out of London. Our branch is committed to trying to convince Capita to reconsider their proposals. Today we wrote to Capita asking them to work with staff and the trade unions to come up with a different solution which not only protects jobs in the community but looks to develop employment opportunities for residents in Barnet. ”

***** Ends *****

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

Links

1. Capita relocations of services can be found here http://www.barnet.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/3165/final_transformation_method_statement_mar2013_capita_redacted1pdf (see page 28 of 135 Transformation Method Statement 4th March 2013)

2. Capita CSG contract can be found here http://www.barnet.gov.uk/downloads/940431/customer_and_support_group_csg_formerly_nscso_contract

3. Barnet UNISON letter to Mark Wyllie Capita Partnership Director link here

 

London Living Wage for Barnet Council staff.

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London Living Wage for Barnet Council staff.

On Tuesday 10 September 2013 the Leader of Barnet Council was asked a question (see Number 27) about London Living Wage by Alison Moore Leader of the Labour Party.

“The last Council meeting agreed unanimously to bring forward proposals to pay all directly employed council staff at least London’s Living Wage if the One Barnet programme went ahead. Now that both One Barnet contracts have been signed, will the Leader bring forward a report to the next General Functions Committee or Cabinet meeting implementing London’s Living Wage for all directly employed staff that currently fall below £8.55 per hour?

Answer by Councillor Richard Cornelius

That will be too soon, but we will bring forward early proposals.”

UNISON has formally raised this as an important issue as we understand it would lead to an increase in pay for almost 900 staff and fully supports the Councils commitment to make sure this is implemented. UNISON will also be seeking a commitment that all contractors delivering services on behalf of the council are paying the London Living Wage.

 

Barnet residents organise funeral procession for Barnet Public Services

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Yesterday a group of residents organised a funeral march, they made several stops across the borough and gave the following eulogy.

“We are gathered here today to bid farewell to Barnet Public Services.

It is sad, of course, to lose a single service, but to lose the majority of this family is truly tragic. Perhaps you did not know all of them, but all of us were acquainted with some of them. They were there to serve us and they provided jobs for some of us. The purpose of these services – like the motivation of those who provided them – was purely to do the job well. They were not perfect, any more than any of us are, but these services were answerable to US, the public. We could reach them directly and press our case when necessary. There were personal connections and there was continuity. They were part of our community.

They were ours, we valued them and we fought hard to save them. They would have lived but for the key to their survival – the date of the decision of their execution – being hidden from view and the executioners’ misleading statements about it when asked.

Now those services as we knew them are gone.

The public – is private,

the motivation and purpose are profit – not service,

and our community rightly grieves.

As we mourn our loss, we extend our sympathies to those who have the added hardship of being forced to move or who have lost their job. As we watch our public services being buried far from their home, we worry how call-centre workers with no connection to, knowledge of, or interest in us and our community will respond to our needs.

We worry especially about what will happen to us and to our loved ones as the first priority of even more vital services – becomes profit, for we have seen how this has harmed some and endangers more people in the privatised care regimes under Fremantle and Your Choice Barnet. Fighting for the right to be consulted about the care of those we hold dear, we are told by such organisations that they don’t have to listen to us, because they are private companies. So how will we ensure that our environment, our buildings, the goods sold in our shops, our highways, our estates and our personal data are safe in the hands of Capita, an enormous organization with a far-from-perfect record of delivering on its promises in the public service sector?

By their actions, the executioners – and you know who they are ­– have dealt a body blow to local democracy. And although we have lost the initial battle, there is much to fight for.

As we bid farewell to public services, let us rededicate ourselves to that fight and to restoring that democracy: To holding the council and Capita to account for every drop in standards, every failure to deliver services, and every penny not accounted for.

Do NOT rest in peace, Capita and Barnet Council:

 

WE ARE WATCHING YOU!”

“A day in the life of a coach escort in the London Borough of Barnet”

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Introduction:

Barnet Council began consultation with coach escorts who provide a service for children with special educational needs (SEN) on Friday 2 August 2013.

The impact on the majority of coach escorts could see their earning drop from £8,891.67 to £5,845.84 a year.

The following are a number of accounts from coach escorts describing the work they do.

“Some people say my job is cushy sitting on a bus transporting disabled children to school. This is not the case. I work for Barnet Transport and as an employee I have to be fully qualified to escort these children, attend courses and have certificates to prove I have passed these courses. Some of the disabilities our children have range from “ADHD, Autism, Downs Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, wheelchair users, the list goes on.”

“We are the eyes and ears for the council as we work on the front line dealing with parents and the needs of the children who have a range of different disabilities. Some are extremely challenging and others are calm. Most of us are attacked on a daily basis, many of us have been punched in the face and stomach, kicked in kneecaps and legs, hair ripped out and our clothes torn to shreds.”

“Although we are trained to deal with this and calm the child down it is not always possible and we have to seek medical attention. We always complete a council monitoring form when an injury occurs but often no action is taken and the child remains travelling on the same bus. If a child is high risk we sometimes need to use a harness which keeps them in their seat but some children can get out of them. Agency Escorts are also used and should be fully trained the same as council escorts but there have been instances where they don’t know how to put a harness on a child, or clamp a wheelchair securely onto the bus.”

“The council cuts our pay and hours but there are an increasing number of the children travelling on the bus. The council needs us to continue our excellent services. Escorts are only part time, if our money is cut further as they propose, then qualified escorts will have to seek other employment which would leave the children with agency escorts who are not as qualified.”

Notes to Editors

1. Most coach escorts work a maximum 20 hours a week, although many would like to work more.

2. There are approximately 160 coach escorts providing this service. According to figures provided by the council 83 are directly employed by the Council the rest are agency workers.

3. Most coach escorts earn up to £8,891.67 a year.

Austerity launches another vicious attack on low paid female workers in Barnet Council

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Austerity launches another vicious attack on low paid female workers in Barnet Council

On Friday 2 August Barnet Council issued a Press Release (here) about the Judicial Review of the One Barnet Programme. Here is an extract

Councillor Richard Cornelius, Leader of the Council, said: “I’m delighted with the judges’ decision.

“We can all now get on with making the huge savings in our back office costs which we need to do if we are to continue protecting our frontline services.

On the same day the above statement was released I sat in a consultation with coach escorts who provide a Frontline service for children with special education needs (SEN).

As I listened to the presentation, I became increasing agitated and angry (as did the staff) at what is the most outrageous attack on low paid undervalued female workers.

In the meeting it was accepted by the Council that most of the staff only earn £8,891.67 a year and work only 20 hours a week, although many of them would like to work more.

It was heart breaking to hear escort after escort describing how seriously this would impact on them and their families if they are forced to take the proposed 33% cut in pay.

That’s right after speaking to escorts after the meeting and using the figures provided by the Council most of them will see their earnings drop from £8,891.67 to £5,845.84 a year.

Many disclosed that they were already on pension credits or other benefits and were worried that these proposals may result in them losing benefits; others were worried about not having enough to pay the rent and losing their homes.

This is an unacceptable cut to a largely low paid female workforce most of whom have loyal long service with the London Borough of Barnet. The scale of the hardship this will cause on this workforce if this proposal is implemented is the worst I have seen in all my time as a trade union official.

After the meeting coach escorts explained the day to day experiences of their job, it was frightening and shocking; anyone listening to their account would have to agree the Council is not paying them enough for what they do.

It is fair to say staff were both upset and incensed about this attack on their livelihoods and have asked for a meeting with the Director of People and made an offer for the Director to accompany some of the escorts on duty.

Further meetings are being arranged with our members who are fired up and feel they have no alternative but to campaign against this unacceptable assault on their terms and conditions.

UNISON has requested a copy of the Equality Impact Assessment for the staff and the Service and sought clarification as to whether parents and schools have been consulted.

UNISON is also demanding that this proposal is abandoned in light of the comments from the Leader that the One Barnet outsourcing will be delivering savings in order to protect frontline services. You are not going to get a more frontline service than this service. We wait to hear if the alleged One Barnet savings really will be used for the Coach Escort frontline service.

In the meantime please send messages of support to Barnet Council Coach Escort Campaign to contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

Your Choice Barnet offered a way out of its financial crisis by Professor Dexter Whitfield

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Campaign Against Destruction of Disabled Support Services

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 23 July 2013

Your Choice Barnet offered a way out of its financial crisis by Professor Dexter Whitfield

 

CADDSS (Campaign Against Destruction of Disabled Support Services) was so concerned about the future of services provided by Your Choice Barnet that it asked Prof Dexter Whitfield, the Director of European Services Strategy, to review the situation.  Your Choice Barnet is experiencing considerable financial difficulties and is very unwilling to engage with service users and families who are worried about the future of the services they use.

 

In his report “The Way Out Of Financial Crisis” Dexter Whitfield States, “The core objective of this report is to set out the case for full and continuing engagement with service users, carers and community organisations, together with staff and trade unions and to show how YCB’s current approach is flawed, fails to provide value for money for the taxpayer and therefore unacceptable.”

 

At present Your Choice Barnet has not engaged in meaningful consultations with service users and their families. Service users and their families have no direct representation on the Board of Your Choice Barnet.  Your Choice Barnet is very selective about what it chooses to disclose.

 

Dexter Whitfield urges Your Choice Barnet not to implement its proposed changes to management and staffing.  Service users and their families are concerned that these changes would cause a considerable deterioration in the quality of services provided.

Despite considerable financial difficulties Your Choice Barnet has agreed to new contracts with consultants.  Dexter Whitfield feels they will give little information that Your Choice Barnet does not already know.  He recommends these contracts should be terminated.

 

Dexter Whitfield recommends that Barnet Council should return YCB services in-house, extend the block contract to ease YCB cash flow problems, and prepare a three-year service development plan with service users, carers, staff and trade unions.

 

A member of CADDSS voiced the concerns of many, “Carers are extremely worried about  the future care of their loved ones.  What will happen when we are no longer around to look out for them?”

 

ENDS

 

Notes to the editor:

ñ  The Campaign Against the Destruction of Disabled Support Services (CADDSS for short) has been set up by Barnet residents to protest against deteriorating social care provision in the London Borough of Barnet.

ñ  Your Choice Barnet was set up by Barnet Council as part of the One Barnet Programme of outsourcing to provide services for adults with disabilities.  It is failing financially and its proposed solution is to restructure services and reduce the number and skill level of staff.

 

Dexter Whitfield’s Report is attached.

 

Contact:        Janet Leifer Tel: 07534 407 703, John Sullivan 07711-934499                                  caddss1@gmail.com

 

 

Your Choice Barnet offered a way out of its financial crisis by Professor Dexter Whitfield

Uncategorised

Campaign Against Destruction of Disabled Support Services

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 23 July 2013

Your Choice Barnet offered a way out of its financial crisis by Professor Dexter Whitfield

 

CADDSS (Campaign Against Destruction of Disabled Support Services) was so concerned about the future of services provided by Your Choice Barnet that it asked Prof Dexter Whitfield, the Director of European Services Strategy, to review the situation.  Your Choice Barnet is experiencing considerable financial difficulties and is very unwilling to engage with service users and families who are worried about the future of the services they use.

 

In his report “The Way Out Of Financial Crisis” Dexter Whitfield States, “The core objective of this report is to set out the case for full and continuing engagement with service users, carers and community organisations, together with staff and trade unions and to show how YCB’s current approach is flawed, fails to provide value for money for the taxpayer and therefore unacceptable.”

 

At present Your Choice Barnet has not engaged in meaningful consultations with service users and their families. Service users and their families have no direct representation on the Board of Your Choice Barnet.  Your Choice Barnet is very selective about what it chooses to disclose.

 

Dexter Whitfield urges Your Choice Barnet not to implement its proposed changes to management and staffing.  Service users and their families are concerned that these changes would cause a considerable deterioration in the quality of services provided.

Despite considerable financial difficulties Your Choice Barnet has agreed to new contracts with consultants.  Dexter Whitfield feels they will give little information that Your Choice Barnet does not already know.  He recommends these contracts should be terminated.

 

Dexter Whitfield recommends that Barnet Council should return YCB services in-house, extend the block contract to ease YCB cash flow problems, and prepare a three-year service development plan with service users, carers, staff and trade unions.

 

A member of CADDSS voiced the concerns of many, “Carers are extremely worried about  the future care of their loved ones.  What will happen when we are no longer around to look out for them?”

 

ENDS

 

Notes to the editor:

ñ  The Campaign Against the Destruction of Disabled Support Services (CADDSS for short) has been set up by Barnet residents to protest against deteriorating social care provision in the London Borough of Barnet.

ñ  Your Choice Barnet was set up by Barnet Council as part of the One Barnet Programme of outsourcing to provide services for adults with disabilities.  It is failing financially and its proposed solution is to restructure services and reduce the number and skill level of staff.

 

Dexter Whitfield’s Report is attached.

 

Contact:        Janet Leifer Tel: 07534 407 703, John Sullivan 07711-934499                                  caddss1@gmail.com

 

 

The fate of Barnet Council 600 jobs in the balance

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Tomorrow the case Maria Nash versus Barnet Council will be heard at the Court of Appeal in Court 71 before The Master of the Rolls, Lord Justice Davis and Lady Justice Gloster it is a 10.30 start.

Two days have been set aside to hear the case.

The case was brought by Barnet resident and disability rights campaigner Maria Nash in response to the One Barnet mass outsourcing council.

If the Court of Appeal finds against Maria Nash what sort of message does it send to public bodies across the UK? That it is all right to breach your statutory obligations because there are no serious implications for doing so.

This is why the judgment delivered at the Court of Appeal on the Maria Nash case will have wide-ranging implications for the future of local government and the NHS. As more and more councils and Clinical Commissioning Groups are placed under increased pressure to try to outsource their problems away. The stark reality is that if this decision is not challenged, it will leave the door open for mass outsourcing of public services on an unprecedented scale across the country.

Outsourcing failures are becoming all the more common, most recently the G4S & Serco overcharging scandal which once again demonstrates the failure of public bodies to monitor the private sector.

Outsourcing is big business, recent reports indicate the current cost of outsourcings public services which were once delivered in house are now worth £88billion.

The Maria Nash case is all about whether the Council should have consulted residents which is why it is worth considering what Lord Justice Underhill had to say about the claim of failing to consult. Below are a number of key extracts from the judgment.

Judgment (extract)

“60.Not withstanding that conclusion, I believe that I should give my conclusions on the substantive questions. I do so partly in case the matter goes further but also because, so far as the issues under section 3 of the 1999 Act are concerned, I am told that there is no case-law, and in view of the thorough and expert submissions made to me it may be of some wider value if I expressed my views….” (2013.04.29 Lord Justice Underhill)

Rejecting the Barnet Council’s response to ‘Failing to consult’

“73. I do not accept Ms Carss-Frisk’s submissions. In the first place I do not think that the use of the formulation “for the purpose of deciding how to fulfil” as opposed to, say, “about how to fulfil” will bear the weight that Ms Carss-Frisk puts on it. Of course it is important to pay close attention to the statutory language, but I do not see how you can consult “for the purpose of” making a decision without inviting views on the substance of the decision itself. And even if that is theoretically possible, I do not see how it is possible to consult for the purpose of deciding whether to undertake a major outsourcing programme without inviting views on the proposal to undertake that programme. Consultation only about “priorities”, or about other general matters that might “assist” the authority in deciding whether to outsource, is not the same thing and is not what is required.” (2013.04.29 Lord Justice Underhill)

Barnet Council seeking to avoid consulting

“74. That seems to me not only the natural reading of the statutory language but what I would expect Parliament to have intended. It is hard to see why authorities should be entitled to fulfil their duty to consult in a way which avoided seeking views on the central issues raised by the substantive duty. Ms Carss-Frisk was of course obliged to put her case in the way that she did because it is clear that in the present case the Council did not make any attempt to consult on the specific question of whether the functions and services covered by the NSCSO and DRS contracts should be outsourced. (Indeed if what Mr Dix was told, as quoted at para. 52 (1) above, is to be taken at face value, the Council had taken the view that it would not consult on “the principles of the Future Shape programme”)” (2013.04.29 Lord Justice Underhill)

No intention to consult residents

“Because here the Council never set out to consult about its outsourcing programme at all,” (2013.04.29 Lord Justice Underhill)

Failed to comply with obligations under section 3 (2) of the 1999 Act

“76. It follows that if the application for judicial review had been made in time I would have held that the Council had not complied with its obligations under section 3 (2) of the 1999 Act in respect of the decisions taken in 2010/11 to outsource the performance of its functions and services, covered by the proposed NSCSO and DRS contracts.” (2013.04.29 Lord Justice Underhill)

Whatever the outcome of the decision, I know the workforce (almost 600 jobs) at risk of losing their jobs as a result of the privatisation of council services are hoping the Judges decide in favour of Maria Nash.

Follow the court case on twitter on #BarnetJR

 

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