“That’s Outsourcing” swinging Easy Council
URGENT: Performance Appraisals – UNISON advice
URGENT
Performance Reviews–UNISON advice
Unlike previous years Performance Reviews have taken on a much more serious meaning as the Council has linked your performance to an annual payment.
This means that your Performance Rating will have an impact on your Pay. It is therefore important that all of our members fully understand Performance Reviews.
Did you have a Mid-Year review last year?
“One to one meetings should be held on a regular basis and should be scheduled throughout the year. These provide the manager and employee with the opportunity to ensure progress is being made against priorities and to ensure that learning and development opportunities are being taken up. A written note of the main issues and decision taken during these meetings should be recorded on the One to One Meetings form.” (Performance Review Scheme Barnet Council.)
Preparing for your Performance Review.
Barnet Councils Performance Review Scheme states:
“Before you begin preparing for your Performance Review, you should make sure you have a copy of your job description, the coming years’ team or service plan, your objectives from last year and your PDP.”
If you are unhappy with your Performance Review please contact the Barnet UNISON office on 0208 359 2088 or email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk
You will need to provide:
- A copy of your current performance review
- A copy of last year’s performance appraisal
- Supporting documentation e.g. emails.
Unified Reward Update – Schools 3 March 2017
Dear Barnet UNISON members working in schools please note the following update:
Nursery Nurses (Early Years Educators)
Barnet UNISON will be submitting a group appeal for Nursery Nurses week commencing 6 March. More details will be provided as to what you need to do.
New contracts – Please read
It has come to our attention that staff are being pressurised to sign the contracts. Please note the following:
Last term non-school Barnet Council employees received their new contracts. Most staff had no issues so they signed their contract. There was a smaller group of workers who did have outstanding issues. For these staff UNISON advised that they did not need to sign until the appeal/issue had been resolved. In some cases some staff still signed even though they had an outstanding issue. In which case once their appeal was resolved they received an updated contract.
It is important that members keep a copy of their new contracts somewhere secure.
If you have any questions about the wording in the contracts please contact the Barnet UNISON office on 0208 359 2088 or email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk
We will be writing to the Council with our member’s questions and will publicise their responses.
UNISON Lead school reps are:
- Louis Smyth specifically on Monday/Tuesday.
- Nadia Joseph on Wednesday.
It is really important that if UNISON members do have any issues or concerns they contact the Barnet UNISON office on 0208 359 2088 or email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk
52 Week Teaching Assistants group appeal
I am meeting with the Council negotiating team on Monday 6 March to discuss a proposal which I hope I will be able to discuss with members shortly.
Individual Appeals
I have a list of members who have individual appeals. It is very important that members provide the UNISON office with all documentation, and arrange for a 1:1 meeting with me in order that I can best able to provide you with support. I have been supporting non schools members for the last five months and this process has worked well.
*** If you have sent in an appeal and have not notified UNISON, we will not be able to help. It is very important that you notify the branch if you want the support.
Stage 1 appeals
These meetings are not meant to be stressful for members. They an opportunity for a discussion with the employer, employee and their UNISON rep. In the many other Stage 1 meetings for non-school staff, management have been very supportive of any of their staff who are facing a loss in pay. I have found that the approach taken for non-schools staff has been largely positive for staff. The solution to the loss in pay can often be resolved by exploring a number of different approaches.
I would hope that UNISON members working in schools would expect that they should have the same treatment.
This is why when UNISON members working in schools contact the branch for support, they will be offered a 1:1 meeting with me. I need to read all of your paperwork before I can advise, before we go into the Stage 1 meeting.
Faith & Voluntary aided schools
A number of faith schools are adopting Unified Pay collective agreement. It is important that members make sure they keep our office informed if they have any issues or concerns.
It is really important that if UNISON members do have any issues or concerns they contact the Barnet UNISON office on 0208 359 2088 or email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk
You are invited to
Barnet UNISON AGM on Tuesday 7 March 4pm at Christ Church at Whetstone (Lower Hall) Oakleigh Park, North N20 9AR
Food and refreshments provided
Join Barnet UNISON on NHS march Sat 4 March
Don’t outsource ‘top 2 rated council services’ say Barnet UNISON
![](https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/1jzl5e-300x150.jpg)
“No 2 Outsourcing”
“Resident Satisfaction – Refuse and recycling remain the top 2 rated council services based on the latest Residents’ Perception Survey data from spring 2016. Recycling is at 73% saying the service is “good/excellent” – this is 6.8% above the London average. Refuse is at 77% saying “good/excellent”, 8.2% above the London average.”
Those are not the words of Barnet UNISON but data on Barnet Council web site.
The ‘top 2 rated council services’ they say.
On Wednesday 15 March 2017, at 6.30 pm Barnet Council Environment Committee will decide whether to either back their own loyal hard working staff or outsource them to another employer.
Barnet UNISON has been clear from the start that Street Scene services should and must stay in-house.
If the residents rate these services, and the senior officers who produce the data confirming this is true, then how could it be possible to outsource these services?
We won’t know until the report to be considered by Barnet Councillors will be published here five working days before the meeting.
http://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=695&MId=8593&Ver=4
I will be attending this meeting which is open to the public.
Barnet UNISON Press Release: Ken Loach comes to Barnet screening of ‘I, Daniel Blake’
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Special screening of BAFTA winning ‘I, Daniel Blake’ with a Q & A Ken Loach. 28 February 2017
27 February 2017
‘Hunger is being used as a weapon,’ says veteran director, calling for public rage over situation he says is worse than when he made Cathy Come Home in 1966” (Ken Loach)
“2.8 MILLION disabled people are in deep poverty (< 50% of median income).” Source: New Policy Institute
“Austerity has been targeted at disabled people nine times more than the general population and severely disabled people have been targeted 19 times more than the general population.” Source: Centre for Welfare Reform
“After the 2016 Budget, the Office for Budget Responsibility found that, ‘the government is on track by 2020-21 to spend the lowest amount on welfare, as a percentage of GDP, in 30 years.’ Source: BBC
“90,000 disabled people will lose their mobility cars under welfare reform.” Source Fullfact.org
Barnet UNISON branch is proud to be able to host this special event which is being supported by the following community campaigns: Barnet Trades Council, Barnet Alliance for Public Services, Housing Action Barnet, Our West Hendon campaign, Barnet Momentum.
“This film is quite rightly being recognised as a urgent wake up call for all of us. Austerity has delivered brutal cuts to our much loved public services and is hastening the break-up of the NHS. Some political commentators pedal the view that employment is up, but at the same time they conveniently neglect to mention that employment rights are being destroyed through the casualisation of the workforce such a zero hours contracts, and home carers are often not paid for travelling time to clients. I hope all of our members and Barnet residents find time to watch this film. We need everyone to get active in their communities and join the call for the end of Austerity.” John Burgess Branch Secretary Barnet UNISON.
The film is being screened at the iconic community Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley on Tuesday 28 February 2017. A short Q & A will take place with Ken Loach and Paula Peters from DPAC interviewed by Aditya Chakrabortty, the senior economics commentator for the Guardian.
See attached flyer for details.
Notes to Editors.
Contact details: John Burgess Barnet UNISON on or 020 8359 2088 or email: john.burgess@barnetunison.org.uk
DPAC http://dpac.uk.net/
Ken Loach http://www.sixteenfilms.co.uk/
Barnet UNISON solidarity with PCS members in local job centres
21stFebruary 2017
Dear Sir or Madam
Please see below our Branch’s response to your call for views on the proposal to close two Job Centres in the London Borough of Barnet.
Closure of Job Centres in the London Borough of Barnet
Barnet UNISON are concerned about the proposed closure of two of the four Job Centres in the Borough. The DWP appears to have not fully considered the impact this would have on those people working in and using Job Centres, and the wider community including our members working to provide support for those seeking work.
Instead of closing Job Centres we call on the DWP to consider the benefits and opportunities of working in partnership with local Government. The proposal shows a failure to learn from the success of existing DWP and Local Government partnerships such as the Boost project at Burnt Oak
Barnet’s population, already the size of many UK cities, will rise from 373, 000 to over 400,000 within the next decade. To reduce Job Centre services by 50% in the face of this growth illustrates a lack of strategic planning by the DWP
Reducing the number of Job Centres will place greater strains and stresses on people who already are in the difficult and worrying situation of having to find work as travel costs and waiting times will increase.
The closure of half of the Borough’s Job Centres will put further pressure on our members working in council services such as libraries and social care who are providing support to people who are out of work; our members are already suffering from additional pressures from cuts to jobs and resources.
Barnet UNISON call for a more imaginative and socially responsible approach to providing Job Centre Services in our Borough. This to be arrived at after a full and real consultation with Job Centre workers as represented by the PCS, service users, the Council and other concerned organisations.
Barnet Unison – Local Government branch.
Solidarity statement 4 John Burgess
Standing up against Bullies of People with Mental Health Issues
We know John made it public knowledge that he suffered a serious mental health breakdown last year. Whatever anyone may think about such a revelation surely it should not attract a vindictive attempt to undermine his mental health.
Unfortunately John has recently received an email seemingly calculated to undermine his mental health. We will not stand by in silence whilst someone in our movement is bullied in this way.
By signing this statement we are expressing our solidarity with John Burgess and our disgust at this opportunistic and calculated attack on someone recovering from a serious health condition.
Please go to this link to read a fuller story about this attack: https://johnburgess001.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/hate-crime-why-i-reported-it-to-police.html
Name, Position, Organisation or branch
- John McDonnell MP Shadow Chancellor
- Mark SERWOTKA PCS General Secretary
- Ian Hodson President BFAWU
- Petros Elia General Secretary United Voices of the World
- John Hendy QC
- Helen Davies Branch Chair Barnet UNISON and NEC.
- Hugh Jordan Libraries Convenor Barnet UNISON.
- Patrick Hunter Convenor Barnet Unison.
- Maggi Myland Barnet UNISON Retired member
- Chris Jobson Barnet UNISON Rep.
- Sid Ronayne Barnet UNISON Rep.
- Claire Locke Chair London Metropolitan University UNISON
- Claire Dixon Branch Secretary, UNISON Whittington Hospital branch
- John Harris Ex Chair UNISON Whittington Hospital branch
- Alex Lines Chair UNISON Whittington Hospital branch
- Jackie Taylor UNISON Whittington Hospital branch
- Sonya Howard Branch Secretary, UNISON Kensington & Chelsea, NEC
- Phoebe Watkins Branch Co-Chair Camden UNISON
- Hugo Pierre Schools Convenor Camden UNISON , NEC
- Amerit Rait Shop Steward UNISON Whittington Hospital branch
- Brian Debus Chair Hackney UNISON
- Alex Tarry Branch Secretary London Metropolitan University UNISON
- Tony Phillips Branch Secretary UNISON London Fire Authority
- Diana Swingler UNISON rep Homerton UNISON
- Tanya Murat Convenor Greenwich UNISON
- Sandy Nichol SOAS UNISON Branch Secretary
- Philip Lewis, Camden UNISON Vice Chair & Branch Health & Safety officer & Convenor supporting people directorate, UNISON Regional Health & Safety Comm. Vice Chair Unison NHSC
- Paula Peters DPAC activist, member of Mental Health Resistance Network and Equalities Officer SE London Unite Community
- Esther Rey Hounslow UNISON joint branch secretary
- Floyd Codlin, PCS Arms, PCS Culture GEC
- Tim O’Dell, Libraries shop steward, Lambeth
- Linda Burnip, DPAC co-founder and UNISON member
- Karen Raynor, Customer Support Assistant, Unison Steward for Bradford Libraries.
- Dave Honeybone, Doncaster District and Bassetlaw health steward.
- George Binette, Camden UNISON Branch Secretary & Chair, Camden TC
- Dean Ryan: Shop Steward Islington Unison.
- Sasha Simic, Shop Steward USDAW C133 Central Books branch.
- Ruth Cashman, Branch Secretary Lambeth UNISON.
- Brad Charteris, Psychotherapist.
- Gareth Lane BFAWU community organiser.
- Ben Sellers, Secretary, County Durham Trades Union Council.
- Dave Auger Wolverhampton deputy branch sec
- Sara Wright, Middlesex University Branch, Branch Chair.
- Roger Hutt, Doncaster and Bassetlaw steward
- Alan Wylie, Unison member & campaigner
- Bob Ellard, DPAC
- Arthur Nicoll, Communications Officer – Dundee City Unison, Scottish LG Cttee
- John Sullivan parent of an adult daughter with learning difficulties , John has spent years fighting for along with her peers and her support staff.
- Andy Squires Doncaster and Bassetlaw Health Branch.
- Jenny Compton-Bishop Middlesex University Retired Member
- Caroline Powls Member Brent Unison
- Janette Evans secretary Barnet Branch Unite community , member Mental Health Resistance Network.
- Sid Ronayne Barnet UNISON steward.
- Adrian Kennett Hull Unison
- Jon Rogers, UNISON NEC.
- Candy Udwin PCS National Gallery.
- John McLoughlin Branch Secretary/SGE Tower Hamlets UNISON
- Dan Sartin Branch Secretary West Sussex UNISON
- Ron Cohen CWU member
- David Ball Steward Barnet UNISON
- Theresa Musgrove Broken Barnet Blog
- Derek Dishman blogger “Mr Mustard”
- A.M. Poppy Barnet Activist
- Dave Knight Retired Waltham Forest UNISON
- Sarah Littlewood Deputy Branch Secretary Hull LG Branch
- Janet Bryan NEC Branch Treasurer Convenor Bolton UNISON
- Paul Couchman Deputy Branch Secretary Surrey County UNISON
- Sherril Johnston NSL steward Barnet UNISON
- Rebecca Call Women’s Officer Wirral UNISON
- Ian Davies Community Member Scunthorpe
- Ian Thomas Health SGE UNISON Wales
- Tony Staunton UNITE member
- Raymie Kiernan NUJ member
- Mike Calvert Deputy Branch Secretary Islington UNISON
- Martin Clark FE college steward Glasgow City UNISON
- Mark Evans Branch Secretary Camarthenshire County UNISON
- Florence Hill Retired Branch Chair Bolton UNISON
- Jane Doolan Branch Secretary Islington UNISON
- Steve Day Branch secretary BFAWU
- Kevin Ward Labour Link officer Middlesex University UNISON
- Ben Jackson Branch secretary pc Manchester Community and Mental Health UNISON
- Barry Blinko retired member Westminster University
- Karen Reissmann member/ NEC pc Bolton Salford Trafford UNISON
- Liz James steward Barnet UNISON
- Stephen Wood Hillingdon UNISON
- Osman Ahmed Sade ULR rep UNISON
- Suzy Franklin honorary President Plymouth Trade Council 2017 – former UNISON Health branch secretary (Plymouth Derriford Hospital Health branch) NEC southwest and staunch John Burgess supporter
- Keith Wilcox Hillingdon UNISON
- Raymundo Obedencio Barnet Green Party
- Philippa Whitecross
- Matt Ratcliffe Branch Secretary Hillingdon UNISON
- Sharon Benjamin Assistant Branch Secretary Hillingdon UNISON
- Jo Cardwell Vice Chair Islington UNISON
- Gary Padgett Lincolnshire County UNISON
- Lorna Solomon Branch Chair Homerton UNISON
- Megan Charlton Secretary Durham Teaching assistants UNISON
- Liz Wheatley Assistant Branch Secretary Camden UNISON
- Roger Lewis Assistant Branch Secretary pc Lambeth UNISON
- Shirley Franklin Chair Defend Whittington Hospital coalition
- Theresa Rollinson Health SGE pc Doncaster and Bassetlaw UNISON
- Keith Martin Former chief accountant NALGO
- Jenny Leow Homerton UNISON
- Jordan Rivera Branch Secretary Homerton UNISON
- Jim Board Branch Secretary Doncaster UNISON
- Yunus Bakhsh formerly branch secretary Newcastle City Health UNISON; Northern region NEC and Health SGE 25 years a psychiatric nurse
- Sharon Campion Joint branch secretary/ SGE Sandwell UNISON
- John Woods Branch Chair Portsmouth City UNISON
- Tirza Waisel Adult social worker Chair Barnet Communities UNITE
- George Shaw Barnet Communities UNITE
- Phil Fletcher Barnet Communities UNITE; Friends of the Earth; Barnet Green Party
- Kathy Smith Bromley Unite rep
- Paul Gilroy Branch Secretary Newcastle City UNISON LG & UNISON NEC
- Max Watson, Unite the Union, SE London Community Branch (previously UNISON NEC, 2010-2015)
- Tracey Leith, Shetland Branch, Chair
- Jennie Haswell, Branch Health and Safety Officer, Wakefield District Branch of Unison
- Trish Fay member of County Durham Teaching Assistants Action Committee
- Louis Smyth Barnet Schools Officer – solidarity John
- Clara Paillard PCS President
- Professor Dexter Whitfield Director, European Services Strategy Unit
- Graham Eddy ex unison branch sec Northumberland lg and asst branch sec tower hamlets unison.
- Gemma Short, Workers’ Liberty. My solidarity.
- Ruth Nyman Barnet UNISON Retired member.
- Jonathan Dunning, UNISON NEC and Norfolk Branch Secretary.
- Sandra Greenyer, Children’s Centre Manager
- Alphonsa M.K. Alby, Barnet social worker
- Hilary Price Barnet UNISON member.
- Tracey Lowe, Barnet UNISON Retired member.
- Tracy Cumberbatch, Underhill School and Children’s Centre.
- Izzi Azgadj
- Jan McLachlan.
- Steve North Branch Secretary, Salford City UNISON.
- Mary Beer-Cleasby, small business owner, BECTU member &Save Barnet Libraries.
- Andrew Travers, Joint Branch Secretary, Unison Medway Health.
- Vicky Perrin school steward Calderdale Branch, YH NEC member (pc)
- Craig Martin, schools convener, UNISON Dorset County.
- Eddie Rowley london met uni unison steward.
- David Summers London Met Unison Asst Branch Secretary.
- John McDermott UNISON steward. Bradford.
- Vino Sangarapillai Camden Unison.
- Polly Smith- chair Suffolk County UNISON ,nec (pc)
- Rena Neophytou, Barnet UNISON member.
- Nick Jackman, Barnet UNISON member
- Janet Mead, Barnet UNISON member.
- David Halls, Unison Birmingham Branch – retired member.
- Mark Dee Smith, Luton TUC.
- Sue Plain Southwark UNISON Branch Secretary.
- April Ashley UNISON Black members rep and Assistant Branch Secretary Southwark (pc).
- Bernie Gallagher, Bolton LG and NEC.
- Maddie Cooper UNISON.
- Fiona Monkman, Islington UNISON.
- David Mackintosh Unison rep for Assist Barnet homes
- Kieran Lynch Barnet UNISON Retired member
- David Lindsay, Lanchester, County Durham.
- Adam Driscoll Barnet UNISON member.
Barnet UNISON votes to seek lawful national dispute over the School Budget cuts
![](https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Unison-libraries-march-02-1-1024x682.jpg)
Support our School Staff members
This Branch Executive Committee notes:
1. This statement which came out 13 December 2016:
“State schools in England will have to find £3bn in savings by 2019-20, says the public spending watchdog. Schools face 8% budget cuts and about 60% of secondary schools already have deficits, warns a funding analysis from the National Audit Office (NAO).”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-38301843
2. Our branch has received an unusually large number of requests from schools seeking consultation over redundancies.
3. The cuts budget is a national agenda which being fought at a local level.
4. School support staff are often a significant proportion (30-50%) of the membership of UNISON local government branches.
5. The formation of a new Education trade union which will bring teachers and school support staff into one union.
6. The disputes by Derby City and Durham UNISON teaching assistants against the imposition of pay cuts through term-time only contracts.
7. The impressive public support those teaching assistants have received for their strike action.
This BEC believes:
1. School support staff are particularly vulnerable to redundancies but there is then a knock-on effect for the rest of the school when jobs are cut.
2. The scale of the problem, the speed of the consultations and the general lack of confidence amongst school support staff means it is incredibly difficult to organise effective, or any resistance to cuts in posts at individual schools as a result of the overall cut in the schools budget.
3. The cuts budget is a national agenda which should be fought at a national level.
4. The issue of term-time only pay should be made into a national dispute.
5. Fighting cuts and defending public services is popular with the public.
This BEC resolves:
1. To continue supporting and encouraging all and any colleagues fighting job losses and pay cuts on a local level.
2. To call on UNISON to seek a way of registering a lawful national dispute over the School Budget cuts and begin the mobilisation of all of our members working in schools for a strike ballot.
3. To call on UNISON to seek urgent talks with sister unions to attempt to coordinate joint national strike action over the School Budget Cuts.
4. To send this motion to National Local Government conference 2017.