“John, I didn’t realise what it meant to be outsourced, I remember you warning us about it and calling for strike action. I know now and I absolutely hate working for them.”
I’ve had to represent many outsourced workers here in Barnet. The other day I had a long and upsetting conversation with a member. She reminded me of one of the many campaign meetings I had held with Barnet Council members before services were outsourced. In all of the meetings I would keep repeating the message that in spite of what senior managers were saying, workers would notice a difference if outsourced.
It doesn’t help to say I told you so, because our member need support from us.
It should serve as a warning to any workers under the threat of outsourcing such as Knowsley or the Four Health branches Bradford, Calderdale and Huddersfield, Leeds and Mid Yorkshire Health who are about to be balloted or the 600 hospital caterers, cleaners, porters other staff at three hospitals in Lancashire are planning to strike for 48-hours later this month over plans to transfer their jobs from an NHS trust to a private company it plans to set up as a wholly owned subsidiary. The proposed action on 23 and 24 May follows an 89% vote for strike action in a ballot which saw 73% of eligible members cast a vote.
I send solidarity greetings and this warning, if you don’t fight you have already lost, if you fight, you may win and avoid what will inevitably follow with outsourcing, which will be an attack on your pay and terms and conditions.
On Monday 14 May 2018, Barnet UNISON continued our pledge made at our AGM to send our banner in solidarity to each Grenfell Silent march which take place on the 14th of each month.
I have been on hundreds of marches but I’ve not attended a silent march before.
It is hard to explain just how powerful it is unless you are there.
Once it begins no one speaks, no mobile phones, the traffic stops, even the birds in the trees seem subdued. I could hear the wind in the trees, it was so quiet I could hear the Barnet UNISON banner poles squeaking.
Half way through the march there is a touching scene where residents shake the hands of the firefighters who are lined up in respect alongside of the march.
I spoke to a number of people and they do welcome the unions providing solidarity.
This collection of campaigns are having to fight tooth and nail for justice.
Whilst they have won a victory to have people on the panel alongside the Judge there is so much to fight for.
Today we heard news that the Government won’t ban combustible cladding.
That is impossible to comprehend after what has happened at #Grenfell.
History tells a story. We know, from #Hillsborough and #Orgreave just how long working class communities have to wait for justice.
#Orgreave are still waiting.
It’s important that trade unions do what trade unions have been doing for over a hundred years. We offer solidarity in whatever form is acceptable.
Barnet UNISON will continue to support #Grenfell residents in order they don’t have to wait 20 years for justice.
The next #Grenfell Silent march is on Thursday 14 June, 6.30.
If you would like to join the Barnet UNISON banner on the march simply contact the branch on 0208 359 2088 or email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk
For those unable to make the 14 May, there is a protest organised by the Fire Brigades Union on Saturday 16, June, 12 noon assemble outside Downing Street, SW1A 1AA
We the undersigned call on all public bodies to end contracts with Capita and begin plans to return services in-house.
FACTS reported in the last week from various media outlets
• Capita employs 70,000 staff
• Capita reported a £513.7m pre-tax loss for 2017
• Capita asking investors for £701m in a rights issue that it will use to fund restructuring and toward paying down debts.
• Capita flogs Asset Services division for £888m
• Capita has seen the value of shares collapse from £13 a share to 160p in the past three years.
• Capita confirmed a fully underwritten £701m rights issue at 70p per share. Some £150m will be used to hack overheads with the cost-cutting programme forecast to yield savings of £175m per annum from the end of 2020.
• The London Stock Exchange-listed organ revealed that sales for the calendar year fell 4.3 per cent to £4.2bn, and it made a loss from operations of £420m. A series of write-offs and the cost of disposals meant losses sunk further.
In light of the above headlines and the collapse of Carillion, we believe it is in the public interest and public finance that all public bodies with contracts with Capita act now to bring those services into public ownership.
Signed
John Burgess Barnet UNISON rep
Helen Davies Barnet UNISON rep and NEC rep
Chris Jobson Barnet UNISON rep
Liz James Barnet UNISON rep
Patrick Hunter Barnet UNISON rep
Hugh Jordan Barnet UNISON rep
Sandy Nicoll, HE General Seat
James Robinson – deputy secretary of Knowsley unison
Liz Wheatley Camden UNISON Branch Secretary
Alex Tarry London Met UNISON Branch Secretary
Polly Smith Nec (pc) Local government service group Unison rep
Gina Stone Unison, UCLH Branch Secretary
Theresa Rollinson, Unison Doncaster and Bassetlaw, HSGE (pc )
Kath Owen NEC, HE women’s seat.
Stephen Smellie NEC Scotland
Paul Couchman. Branch Secretary, Surrey County LG
Billie Sarah Reynolds Co Deputy Convenor SE Region UNISON LG
George Binette, former Camden UNISON Branch Secretary, Trade Union co-ordinator, Hackney North & Stoke Newington CLP (personal capacity).
Naomi Junnor Steward and vice convenor Fieldwork stewards, Glasgow City Branch
Florence Hill retired Unison member Bolton
Luisete Bento Batista NEC Manchester
Tony Wilson UNISON NEC North West.
Helen Astley, Chair of the Herefordshire Local Government UNISON Branch, LGSGE member – West Midlands Region and TULO – Hereford and South Herefordshire CLP.
Vicky Perrin Unison NEC Yorkshire & Humberside
Angela Ruth Waller Local Government Service Group Executive Yorkshire and Humberside Female Seat (pc)
Gem Dean Gemma dean, branch secretary Herefordshire health unison branch
Andrew Berry, UNISON National Labour Link Committee, London Rep.
Jane Doolan NEC LG seat , SGE and Branch Secretary Islington LG Branch
Berny Parkes: Co-Chair Dorset County Branch Unison; Secretary South Dorset CLP (PC)
Arthur Nicoll Comms Officer, Dundee City Unison and Scottish LG Committee.
John Walker, Equalities Officer, Herefordshire Health Unison
Jim McFarlane, Branch Secretary Dundee City UNISON and NEC member (pc)
Sean Fox NEC Greater London &Haringey UNISON Joint Branch Secretary
Declan Clune Secretary Southampton and South West Hampshire Trades Union
Paul Rafferty, Chair, UNISON AQA Branch (pc).
Janet Bryan UNISON NEC
Rose Brown UNISON NEC
Dan Hoggan Greenwich Unite Local Government Branch
Roger Lewis Please add Roger Lewis, assistant branch secretary, Lambeth unison, PC
Making sure your Pension is being looked after properly by #Capita is something our branch takes very seriously.
Your Pension is one of the most important financial decisions you are likely to make so it is important that when you need it, the Pension is accurate.
If you are a Barnet UNISON member and want your own specific Pension Health check all you need to do is contact the branch on 0208 359 2088 or email contactus@barnetunison.org.uk
101 years ago today women in Russia began taking strike action and this sparked the revolution of 1917. In those times this day was called “International Working Women’s Day”.
UNISON is the one union in Britain dominated by a female membership. We should take inspiration from our predecessors.
Have you completed your ballot on pay? Today is the last day of the ballot so please have your say and make your voice count.
We recommend a rejection of the offer on the basis that the public mood is with us and we believe we can do better than accepting below inflation pay ‘offers’.
“I want to thank members of the Pension Board in particular the Chair for the statement above. Barnet UNISON had already raised a large good deal of the concerns detailed in the audit report mentioned at the Pension Board meeting with our employer. We share the grave concerns expressed so concisely by the Chair of the Pensions Board, however we do not share the optimism of the Council that a service improvement plan will be sufficient. Shortly after Capita took over the Pension Service, staff were made redundant as the service was moved to Darlington. The service is not comparable to the in-house service provided by our members. It our view that the Council should begin negotiations for the service to be brought back in-house. Joining a Pension Scheme is one of the most important financial decisions a worker can make, which is why I am inviting UNISON members who are in the Local Government Pension Scheme to join me at the Barnet Council Pension Fund Committee meeting on Monday 26 February 2018, at 7 pm Hendon Town Hall” (John Burgess, Branch Secretary, Barnet UNISON)
Full details of Pensions Fund Committee meeting here
“It would be an understatement to say this is the most important item on the agenda this evening.
In this context I must remind us all that the London Borough of Barnet Pension Fund Board acts in support of the Pensions Committee.
It is the Pensions Committee of the London Borough of Barnet which is, I think, composed exclusively of Councillors which is as it were operationally in charge of our the entire pensions operation.
It is the job of the Pension Fund Board to advise the Pension Committee to encourage it and warn it, but of course the Pension Fund Board is a public body open to members of the public, our agenda is public and so it should be.
I would be derelict in my duty as chair of your board if I did not put on the record for our minutes the grave concerns of the Pensions Fund Board with the current situation concerning Messrs Capita.
Now I am pleased to say that I have observer status on the Pension Fund Committee.
The Pension Fund Committee will be meeting later this month.
The reason that I am an observer there at the next meeting is actually, technically, formally speaking, to present the annual report of the Pension Fund Board to the Pension Fund Committee.
But I don’t want anyone to be in any doubt particularly Messrs Capita that I should use that opportunity to relay to the Pension Fund Committee the concerns and anxieties of this board in relation to the Pension Fund Committee, and the boroughs relationship with Messrs Capita.
In that connection, I would like to first move formally from the Chair that the report we have just been discussing, although it is already a public document, none the less that it be communicated formally to the Pension Fund Committee.
Can I take that as approved?
Thank you.
I must then point out a certain chronological scenario and my understanding of the contract between the Borough of Barnet and mentioned Messrs Capita, is that it provides inter alia for a series of remedy notices as an official term to be issued and members of the Pension Fund Board, will know, that one remedy notice the first was issued, I think last year, last August after the Borough was fined by the Pensions Regulator.
So colleagues, I would not be at all surprised, I would not be at all surprised, if, by the next time the Pension Fund Board meets then, there is some intimation of a second remedy notice.
I’m not saying that it is imminent but I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case.
My understanding is and I am advised that if a third remedy notice is issued this would mean, I am very much looking to my colleague on my immediate left, to correct me if I am wrong, that this would mean that the borough would be at an imminent state of taking back the contract, yes?
Thank you I am grateful for that clarification.
Our job is to advise the Pension Fund Committee, encourage and support and that’s the purpose of the statement I am making.
In that connection, summarising very broadly there are two overriding concerns that this board has, our main concerns communication with members and the quality of the data.
There are other concerns, but those two top ones, and when I present the annual report of this board to the Pension Fund Committee at the end of this month and when presumably now we have agreed I should also present formally the report we have been discussing.
I shall advise, encourage and warn the Pensions Fund Committee to be exceedingly vigilant on these issues, before the next meeting of the next of this Pension Fund Board, of course this will be an item it goes without saying at the next agenda
Barnet UNISON has just been informed that Barnet Council has sent another batch of grading ballot letters to all community schools.
The next roles going forward for a Grading Appeal are as follows:
Teaching Assistant 3 Mainstream
Teaching Assistant 3 Special
Teaching Assistant 4
Teaching Assistant 4 Special
Learning Mentor
Breakfast /After school Club level 3
We need everyone to vote YES in order that Barnet UNISON can submit the Appeal.
If you have not had your ballot letter, please contact Barnet Council by email at unified.reward@barnet.gov.uk or post to The Unified Reward Team, London Borough of Barnet, North London Business Park, Oakleigh Road South, London, N11 1NP.
BREAKING NEWS: Shadow Chancellor sends message of hope and solidarity to Barnet UNISON and grassroots Labour Party members.
“I fully support the Barnet UNISON policy statement For A Better, Fairer, Democratically Accountable Barnet. The branch has mounted an inspirational decade long battle with a right wing ideological driven Tory Council determined to outsource all of its services. I send solidarity message to the branch and to Barnet Labour members who together will deliver a Labour Council to implement this policy statement. ” John McDonnell Shadow Chancellor
“I’m absolutely delighted that in his busy schedule John McDonnell has the time to send a message of Hope & Solidarity to Barnet UNISON members and grassroots Labour Party members who against the odds have delivered three marginal seats in Barnet. Our policy statement is a signal of intent to begin to address the damage done to our public services and the staff made redundant. Outsourcing has delivered in Barnet, but not in the way it was spun by consultants who grew rich on the millions paid by Barnet residents in the name of austerity. Hope for the many is within our grasp, austerity lite policies are not welcome here.”
John Burgess, Barnet UNISON Branch Secretary
For A Better, Fairer, Democratically Accountable Barnet.
1. AGENCY STAFF/CONSULTANTS
End the Council’s over reliance on agency staff and consultants, replacing these with Council employees.
Review Unified Reward and consider returning to GLPC.
CARE
Adopt UNISON ethical care charter.
(https://www.unison.org.uk/content/uploads/2013/11/On-line-Catalogue220142.pdf)
2. COLINDALE MOVE
Address and alleviate the problems caused by the forthcoming relocation of Barnet Council and Partner organisation staff to the new Colindale Office building.
3. HEALTH & SAFETY
Bring all the Council’s Health & Safety responsibilities back in to in-house control and monitoring.
Review Health & Safety arrangements in the Borough.
4. HOUSING
TBG Flex employees to be employed on Local Government T&C’s, Pay with access to Local Government Pension Scheme.
The Barnet Group to be brought back in-house.
End short term 2 & 5 year tenancies and reintroduce secure life time tenancies for all tenants.
End or limit Right to Buy and the subletting of Right to Buy properties
Increase Council home building.
Widen the availability of social housing within the Borough.
Resource the monitoring of housing where necessary to ensure it is fit for habitation.
5. LIBRARIES
Restore the pre-April 2017 level of staffed opening hours, with sufficient Library workers (in numbers, qualifications and experience) and resources.
Review the use of lost Library space with a view to returning to Library use.
Bring the Partnership Libraries back in-house.
Work with all stakeholders in the Library Service to produce a strategy that will maintain and improve the quality and accessibility of Barnet Libraries.
6. OUTSOURCING
No more Council services to be outsourced.
Work towards bringing services already outsourced back in-house including NSL.
Review Capita and other contracts with the aim of bring services back in-house.
Ensure that while outsourcing contracts are running they are properly overseen and these services are provided to the contracted level without incurring further cost to the Council.
7. PAY
Support the Trade Union (UNISON, GMB, Unite) NJC PAY CLAIM 2018 – 2019
Ensure that Council, partner organisation and contractor employees are paid at least the London Living Wage.
End Performance Related Pay.
8. SCHOOLS
52 week contracts for TAs and other support workers.
Oppose the establishment of academies.
9. STREET SCENE
Instigate a search within the Borough for a site (or sites?) for a depot (depots?) suitable for all Street Scene’s long-term needs?
Commit to the retention of Street Scene services in-house.
No more Council services to be outsourced.
Work towards bringing services already outsourced back in-house including NSL.
Review Capita and other contracts with the aim of bring services back in-house.
Ensure that while outsourcing contracts are running they are properly overseen and these services are provided to the contracted level without incurring further cost to the Council.
Councillor James Murray, executive member for housing, Islington Council, said:
“The decision about housing management in Islington has been finely-balanced. We have decided that bringing HFI in-house will allow us to invest as much as possible in new council housing, whilst protecting our tenants and existing stock from changes the government might make.
“It is vital that we continue to give our tenants and leaseholders the best possible service from our committed staff who currently work for HFI.
“We will also use this opportunity to expand tenant and leaseholder involvement in housing management and we will be consulting next month on how this should be done.”
The decision follows a three-month consultation with tenants and leaseholders this summer – with thousands of residents responding to a questionnaire survey and taking part in discussion groups run by an Independent Tenants Advisor.
The council’s consultation heard a wide variety of residents’ views on what they want for the future of their housing services. Common themes emerging were the need for new housing, more council accountability and a bigger say in the issues that affect all residents – including tackling poverty, anti-social behaviour and saving money.
If confirmed, the decision means the council will negotiate an early termination (April 2012) of the housing management agreement with Homes for Islington which currently runs until 2014.
The arrangements are expected to save the council £1.7m a year.
Between November 2011 and March 2012 the council will carefully prepare for the changeover to minimise disruption to services and maintain the high quality of services residents have come to expect from HFI.
To view the new rates of pay click on the link below.
