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Change in pension contributions – explanation below .

Local, News, Pensions

Several members contacted our branch this month as they noticed a change in the employer contributions.

The branch contacted the Council and requested that they put out an announcement to the workforce explaining why this has happened and what it means to each member.

Below is the statement sent out in an email to all staff. We are conscious that not all staff have access to a work email, which is why we are publishing the statement in full on our web site.

 

 

Change in the employer contribution to the Local Government Pension Scheme

As of this month, there has been a reduction in the amount of pension contribution that the council will pay into the Barnet Pension Fund (part of the LGPS). This does not affect your pensions benefits in any way.

The pensions team have provided a detailed update about the Pensions Fund and why the employer contribution has reduced.

You may have noticed in your payslip that the amount of Employer Contributions towards the Barnet Pension Fund has reduced.  This does not affect your pension benefits in any way.  Pension benefits, and your contributions to your pension, are set according to a formula.  The council pays in an amount to ensure that there is enough money in the pension fund to cover all of these benefits, and this amount is recalculated from time to time.

Understanding the Pension Fund Financial Background

It is important to understand the financial background to the Pension Fund.  The Barnet Pension Fund (the “Fund”) funding position has improved to a very strong financial position due to increased long-term interest rates. This means that the Fund expects higher returns on the investments it holds.

This also means that the Fund is expected to need less money from employers like the Council to fund the benefits promised.

Despite this improvement in funding, the Council had been paying around £6 million a year to address a “funding shortfall”, which was determined on 31 March 2022, when the contribution rate was set.  Crucially, the Council had been paying more than necessary to address the “shortfall” that existed in March 2022.

The Actuary, an independent specialist advisor to the Fund, has determined that this shortfall no longer exists at the present time – indeed on 31 December 2023, the Actuary estimated the Fund was 123% funded.

Council’s Financial Situation

 As you will be aware, and like many local authorities, the Council is facing significant financial challenges, prioritising resources to protect essential services. Due to current financial pressures, the Council requested to contribute only what is required to address the funding shortfall identified on 31 March 2022 (rather than more than was what was required).

 

Pension Committee’s Decision Making

The Pension Committee, composed of elected members, carefully considered whether it was appropriate to review the Council’s pension contributions over four meetings. Expert advice from legal professionals confirmed the legality of the review.

In February, the Pensions Fund Committee approved the Council’s request for a reduction to their contribution from 28.4% to 20.4% of salaries (i.e. an 8% reduction) over a two-year period, starting from April 2024. This contribution reflects the amount required to address the funding shortfall on 31 March 2022 and does not take into account the significant improvement of the Funding of the Pension Fund since then.

 

Impact on member contributions

Individual member contributions will not change.  LGPS pension contributions are set by regulations and no Local Authority has the power to alter them.  This means that the recent decision to reduce the Council’s employer contribution rate will have no effect on individual member contributions.

 

Impact on member benefits

Member benefits are a statutory obligation set out in the statutory regulations governing the Local Government Pension Scheme and therefore cannot be changed by the Council and remain fully protected.   Pension scheme member benefits are therefore not impacted by any adjustment to the Council’s contribution rate.

 

Monitoring the Position

If the financial position of the Fund deteriorates significantly, such as through decreased interest rates or poor performance of the Fund’s assets, the Pension Fund Committee has the power to require the Council to increase its contributions to previous levels. As part of the agreement, and to protect the Fund, the Pension Fund Committee requires the Council to demonstrate that it is budgeting for the higher level of contribution within its long-term financial planning. The Fund will also have another full valuation in any event in March 2025.

 

End.

Service Group Elections are Underway – Have You Voted?

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If you normally receive communications by email then please also go to this website link if you’ve not used your online vote.

You can vote by post.

This is what your envelope looks like when it arrives. It will contain your ballot paper, an envelope to return your ballot paper and a booklet which tells you what the candidates are standing for.

You have a total of 3 Votes for 3 different people.

This is how it looks like when you open your letter. You can vote for one person in each category.

One person for the Female Seat
One person for the General Seat
One person for the Reserved Seat

The Branch has nominated Gabby Lawler, Helen Davies and Anju Paul.

See here to find out why.

https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/04/19/service-group-elections/

When you have put your crosses in the boxes against the names you want to pick then put the ballot form in the envelope which came with your ballot paper and put it in the post.

The ballot closes 17th May. To ensure your vote arrives in time, post it back no later than 14th May.

If you have not received a ballot paper please call: 0800 0857 857

If you want to vote online, you will have received an email. Please click here to find out what this email looks like and follow the instructions. If you usually receive emails from UNISON but did not receive this email please check your junk/ spam or other filters to find it.

You Have 3 Votes Please Use Them All – Service Group Elections

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Why vote?
The Service Group Executive is made up of representatives from all of UNISON’s regions. It decides policy and campaigns in between the annual conferences. If you want to see a campaign on Local Government funding to improve pay, terms and conditions in Councils and schools – this body should be the one driving that campaign, for instance.

How Do I Vote?
You should have received an email Monday 22nd April in the afternoon which looks like this. If you didn’t – check junk mail and spam etc – contact UNISON 0800 0857 857.

You will have 3 categories (“contests”) in which you can vote. Pick one and select the candidate you want.

The next page will ask you to confirm this is the correct one. If you made a mistake you can go back and change it. If you’re happy with your selection click the “submit” button and proceed to the next category (“contest”) and so on until you have cast your 3 votes.

The Branch has nominated Gabby Lawler, Helen Davies, and Anju Paul.

See here to find out why. https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/2024/04/19/service-group-elections/

Please vote now!

***Strike preparations commence for 15 April***

Anti - Racism, Austerity, Local, News, Recruitment, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign

8 April 2024.

Dear Supporter

Barnet UNISON Mental Health strikers are due to start the next phase of strike action on Monday 15 April.

Our strikers have already taken 27 days of strike action and by the end of this next phase they will have taken 72 days of strike which equates to 1,305 lost working days or 13.050 lost contacts with Mental Health service users.

We have had two meetings with Acas where we have established that Barnet Council have confirmed that they do have twice the funding they would need to settle this dispute. It is now clear that thus dispute is not about the money and as each day that goes by it feels like this is an attempt by senior officers to break UNISON.

On behalf of our members, I am requesting all our supporters to join us on our picket line this Monday 15 April between 8-10 am.

The following speakers are currently:

  1. Libby Nolan UNISON President.
  2. Jo Galloway Regional Secretary, UNISON London Region.
  3. John McDonnell MP
  4. Lord John Hendy KC
  5. Shelly Asquith Health & Safety TUC
  6. Sam Gurney Regional Secretary London, East and South East TUC
  7. Kerie Anne Branch Secretary Tower Hamlets UNISON
  8. Liz Wheatley UNISON NEC rep and Branch Secretary, Camden UNISON.

More speakers to be announced later.

The Location of our picket line is 2 Bristol Avenue, Colindale, London NW9 4EW. Colindale station on the Northern line is the nearest station to our picket line. It is a 5-minute walk, turn first left out of the station.

Solidarity

John Burgess, Branch Secretary, Barnet UNISON.

End.

BREAKING NEWS: Two more experienced Mental Health social workers due to leave this month.

Anti - Racism, Austerity, Local, News, Recruitment, Solidarity, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign

Two more experienced Mental health social workers are about to start work in the NHS this month which is devastating news for the service and the morale of the workforce. Barnet Council have failed to acknowledge that they have a problem reciting social workers with Mental health experience to the team which has meant the exodus of experienced mental health social workers is having a critical impact on the remaining workforce.

The chronic turnover of staff across our acute Mental Health teams is plunging the service into a deeper crisis as Barnet Council refuses to submit a reasonable proposal to resolve this long-standing dispute.

UNISON has repeatedly urged the Council over the last nine months to take this matter seriously by doing the right thing and working with UNISON to stop the mass exodus of social workers from these acute Mental Health social work teams.

UNISON has warned the Council that if senior officers continue to take an adversarial approach to negotiations, then a nine weeks strike action over a 13 week period will begin on Monday 15 April.

If our members do take part in the next phase of strike action, it will mean that Barnet UNISON Mental Health social workers will have taken 72 strike days which equates to 1,305 lost working days or 13,050 lost contacts with Mental Health service users.

The power to end this dispute is in the hands of Barnet Council.

End.

Countdown begins just 10 Days before 9 weeks of strike action……

Austerity, Local, Recruitment, Solidarity, Trades Dispute, UNISON Campaign
-95Days -23Hours -21Minutes -7Seconds

Date 3 April 2024.

The start date of unprecedented strike action is only 11 days away.

To date Barnet UNISON Mental Health social workers have already taken 27 days of strike action which equates to 405 lost working days across the Mental Health service, or 4,050 service user contacts lost.

Incredibly despite two meetings with Acas, Barnet Council has yet to make a reasonable offer to try and resolve this dispute.

Last week to try and avert the escalation of the dispute Barnet UNISON submitted more information to Barnet Council including the news that two more experienced Mental Health social workers are due to leave the teams in April thus escalating the crisis within the frontline Mental Health teams.

We are waiting for a response.

In the absence of a meaningful offer which UNISON could recommend to their members the escalation of the strike takes place over three time periods.

The first period is a two-week strike from 15 April to 26 April 2024.

The second period is a three-week strike from 13 May to 1 June 2024

The third period is a four-week strike from 17 June to 12 July 2024. (four weeks).

End.

Strike fundraiser Friday 5 April – Mental Health social worker strike

Anti - Racism, Austerity, Health and Safety, Local, News, Recruitment, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

Barnet UNISON Mental Health strikers have taken 27 days of strike action which equates to 405 lost working days.

Due to the anti-trade union legislation we had to re-ballot the strikers who voted 100% for more strike action.

Our strikers agreed they needed to escalate the dispute as Barnet Council were not taking this dispute seriously.

They have agreed the following timetable of strike action:

  • From 15 April to 26 April 2024 (two weeks).
  • From 13 May to 1 June 2024 (three weeks).
  • From 17 June to 12 July 2024.(four weeks).

This is serious escalation of the dispute.

On behalf of our strikers, Barnet UNISON is inviting supporters to

Strike Fund raiser on Friday 5 April 6- 11 pm

at Pelican House E1 5QJ.

 

Tickets and more info here:

https://www.outsavvy.com/event/18934/strike-fundraiser

 

The event is being organised by Young UNISON members in London.

 

End.

Press Release: Social Care and Repair Workers 87% Vote Yes to Action on Pay

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“If the those at the top can’t pay up then one of them should go so we do have money. We don’t need so many big Daddies.”

Anju, The Barnet Group UNISON rep

 

On a turnout of 70%, 98% agreed with Barnet UNISON’s pay claim and 87% said they were willing to take strike action in favour of the pay claim. The overwhelming majority of these are care and support workers.

Workers in The Barnet Group who are affected by the London Living Wage, having no enhanced rates of pay for working nights, bank holidays or overtime rates were surveyed in an indicative ballot for strength of feeling over these issues. Barnet UNISON’s pay claim was put to them.

Shockingly the lowest paid in The Barnet Group were given no pay rise for the whole of 2023! Paying the new rate of the London Living Wage 6 months after the new rate was announced with no backdate does not help the lowest paid.

The pay claim is:

  1. Backdate the London Living Wage increase to £13.15 to the 1/11/23 and maintain differentials between other grades in YCB.
  2. Pay Overtime Rates of time and a half Monday to Saturday and double time Sundays and Bank Holidays.
  3. Pay enhanced rates of 25% Saturday 6am to 10pm; 50% Sunday all day; 100% Bank holiday (25% = time and a quarter; 50% = time and a half; 100% = double time)
  4. Pay an increased Rate of time and a third for night working (10pm-6am).

Barnet UNISON hopes that the results of the survey will lead to productive talks where consideration will be given to the demands. If no such consideration will be given we will progress to a formal ballot of these members with a view to taking strike action.

On hearing the results this is what some of our reps had to say:

“It’s a good result for us. Actions speak louder than words. We work so hard, we deserve it. We get no thank you’s.”

Tracy, The Barnet Group UNISON rep.

“It’s time to act. It’s a call from the trenches.”

Pauline, The Barnet Group UNISON rep

“The COVID heroes have spoken. The Barnet Group needs to listen.”

Patrick Hunter, Assistant Branch Secretary for Barnet UNISON

“Most of these workers are skilled workers and yet they have rates of pay which are lower than for unskilled work. Is it because they are women? Is it because they are predominantly Black? If Equalities actually mean something then this needs to be sorted.”

Helen Davies, Chair of Barnet UNISON.

 

End.

 

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