Two days after the Lionesses made us proud, Barnet's Labour Council is to be taken to Court for sex discrimination

File under "You couldn't make it up". The Labour Party was founded by Trades Union members and the Unions pay the bills for the party, regardless of whether the Leader is Jeremy Corbyn or Tony Blair. Whilst the root and branch membership of the Labour Party are proud of this association, it seems that as soon as Labour Politicians get their hands on the levers of power, they somehow seem to have a conscience bypass. Back on the heady night in 2022, when Labour took power and booted the Tories out, I spoke to the rather shell shocked Leader of the Barnet Labour group and the new leader of Barnet Council, Barry Rawlings. I made a note of his exact words. I didn't do this so I had a rod to beat him with, but because I thought what he said was important and I was impressed by his sentiments.

Barry said "We won't get everything right, I am sure we will make a lot of mistakes on the way, but whatever we do, we will put fairness, equality and decency at the centre of it" He then went on to say "I expect you to hold us to account and remind us of this when we do get things wrong". Although Labour has made many mistakes, I've had no reason to remind Barry of his pledge. Until now. Today, two days after the Lionesses amazing victory, where we are all basking in the reflected glory of our amazing female team, a dispute has been launched by the Public sector workers union UNISON, alleging that Barnet Council and its Labour bosses are acting in a discriminatory manner towards their own female employees. The Press Release says:-

"Barnet UNISON is urging its female members in the London Borough of Barnet (LBB) to come forward as the union prepares to launch a collective legal challenge over potential equal pay breaches by the Council.

The move follows extensive investigations into pay practices within LBB, particularly in relation to the use of “task and finish” arrangements in the Waste & Recycling service. UNISON believes there is now sufficient evidence to support equal pay claims with reasonable prospects of success.

John Burgess, Branch Secretary of Barnet UNISON, said:

“The possibility that staff – the majority of whom are women – may have been underpaid for years is deeply concerning, especially in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis. Equal Pay is not just a legal right, it’s a fundamental matter of fairness. UNISON is committed to ensuring our members receive the pay they are legally and morally entitled to.”

The union is now asking affected members to complete an Equal Pay case form detailing their job roles, grades, and employment history. This information will allow UNISON to assess each claim and proceed with legal and procedural steps, including lodging a collective grievance and initiating early conciliation.

Barnet UNISON is also reminding staff of the strict six-month legal time limit for making an Equal Pay claim. Anyone who has recently left the Council or changed roles is urged to act quickly.

UNISON has led the fight for Equal Pay in local government for over a decade, winning millions in compensation for underpaid workers. The union will continue to engage in constructive dialogue with Barnet Council while preparing to take legal action where necessary."

It really is appalling that now, of all times, such inequality is happening in Barnet, especially with a Labour Council. Now we all know there is no magic money tree and with cash tight at Barnet Council, it is hard to sort these sort of matters out. However, not only is it morally wrong to pay discriminatory pay rates, it is against the law. Any legal action will cost taxpayers money, and I for one, resent my hard earned cash being spent to defend the indefensible.

I sincerely hope that Barry Rawlings now picks up the phone to Unison branch secretary John Burgess, who is decent man and an excellent Union Rep and gets him around a table to resolve this. The people who are suffering as a result are amongst the lowest paid employees on the Borough payroll and if Barry really is a Labour politicians, he should start acting like it and sort this out. If you see Barry out and about, please ask him if he still believes what he told me on the night he was elected. 

The Capitaville Horror Show reaches it's inevitable conclusion

 As the new Barnet Labour administration act to wind up the One Barnet project and the huge Capita outsourcing experiment, I've found it really hard to find anything to say (other than 'I told you so' which isn't exactly exciting or enlightening). If the Barnet Conservatives had bothered to listen to me or voices such as John Dix (Mr Reasonable) or outsourcing expert Professor Dexter Whitfield, then the Council wouldn't be in the mess it is in now. Eight years ago, John Dix said these prophetic words as part of a series of films I made entitled Capita the Movie

I tried to get the financial support to make the film as a proper documentary, but sadly there were no rich benefactors willing to underwrite the costs of properly exposing the mess we were walking into. I pitched it to a couple of well known TV documentary series who told me "It's not good telly until the disaster happens". I get their point, but in some ways I understand based on what happened with the Y2K bug. In that case, the powers that be listened, the bugs were fixed (I know, I worked on it) and the worlds IT systems survived. Because the problem was dealt with in advance and properly managed, the now prevailing wisdom was that it was all a media hyped lie. If Barnet Council had listened to us, there would still be evangelical outsources claiming that Barnet could have saved billions if they'd not listened to 'those silly bloggers'. 

As the horror show unfolded, we saw ever more opaqueness from the Barnet Tories as they sought to obfuscate the mess they made. The evidence was there for all to see, but the powers that be in the council simply refused to admit there was a problem or release any proper accounts that showed the scale of the mess. Now the new administration has committed to undoing the mess. This will not be straightforward. Whole organisations have been dismantled and moved elsewhere Expertise has been lost and the staff who knew what they were doing have long since found new jobs. 

Everyone who has a stake in Barnet has a vested interest in making the new systems work. If they don't it will cost us more money and lead to even worser services, bigger potholes, more litter etc. When the Council were outsourcing, Barnet Unison made many sensible suggestions as to how money could be saved. I hope some of these are revisited and the council positively engage with the Unions. 

It is worth recalling that mass outsourcing did not start under a Tory administration. It was actually a Blairite initiative that set up Barnet Homes which became "The Barnet Group". This organisation is now in dispute with its own workers

#BREAKINGNEWS Barnet Outreach workers 88% turnout and a100% vote for strike actionhttps://t.co/3XhM0ocqaF@unisontheunion @John_Burgess001 @organiserjo @unisonglr @cmcanea @MikeShort8 @tiddymoke @ValerieABossman pic.twitter.com/aqPo9arYbh

— (((barnet_unison))) (@barnet_unison) July 25, 2022

I do hope that when Barnet Labour have sorted out Capita, they have a long, hard look at the structure of "The Barnet Group". I see no evidence that this has delivered what it was supposed to. These Arms Length Management Organisations (ALMO's) are simply overly bureaucratic monsters that seem to generate jobs for managers, accountants, lawyers and pen pushers, without seemingly getting to grip with their main job, in the case of The Barnet Group this is increasing provision of socially and affordable housing. It really is ridiculous that young people cannot afford to live in the Borough of Barnet unless the banks of Mummy and Daddy subsidises them

Barnet Unison public meeting today to oppose cuts and outsourcing

UNISON is looking to support a grassroots campaign for public services across the London Borough of Barnet.They have organised a public meeting tonight, 26th November at the Greek Cypriot centre in North FInchley (see details below).

They have organised speakers on Libraries, Social Care, Schools, and Housing. These speakers will be explaining the campaign to residents and Council staff who want to join the different campaigns taking place across Barnet opposing the cuts and outsourcing agenda of the highly ideolically hard right Conservative Council.

Barnet Council have announced five outsourcing decisions which will mean up to 81 % of the workforce outsourced including social work in Adults. What the Council are proposing is unprecedented in Local Government. This is likely to lead to a rapid decline in services for the most vulnerable people in the Borough. The council are also seeking to close six libraries and massively reduce the quality of services in the remaining ones. A trip to any Barnet library will reveal empty shelves and ever lowering stocks of books. What sort of Council thinks making people have less access to educational materials is investing in the future?

Please come along to this meeting if you are interested in supporting the campaign.

Yet another scandal about to overwhelm Barnet Council - #2

The Barnet Eye has raised major issues regarding conflicts of interest with the outsourcing of Barnet legal to the London Borough of Harrow. It seems that Barnet Unison have identified another issue. The it infrastructure for Harrow is provided by Capita, one of the bidders for the One Barnet program. This means that Capita may have access to confidential legal documents held on the Harrow Council system, which refer to Barnet. It is also likely that in the case of legal disputes between Barnet Council and Capita, if the oustourcing proceeds, that Capita will be running the systems where Barnet's confidential legal papers concerning the dispute will be held. Of course the Union have  a vested interest in the issue, but that does not mean that the concerns they raise can be ignored. There seems to be a rather disturbing (and frankly intellectually unsound) policy among Barnet Council Conservatives of ignoring criticisms of One Barnet because they perceive the person raising the issue as "left wing". This is an intellectually bankrupt approach. A truly Conservative regime is pragmatic and open to ideas. Winston Churchill once famously commented that "Labour Government come up with good ideas and Conservative Governments make them work" in response to criticisms of his governments treatment of the NHS. Sadly in Barnet, "left wing" commentators come up with valid concerns and Consevative administrators stick their fingers in their ears and shout "la la la" very loudly.

Here is what the Barnet Unison website says about the issue. 

From the Barnet Unison Website

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/?q=node/919

The outsourcing saga of Barnet Council Legal Services to Harrow Council continues. The likely date of transfer to Harrow could be early August. The target date was 2 July, but that was before the #Spartacus revolt and plans of the new Harrow Legal Service revealed.

Yesterday staff were informed the new name of the service will reflect the shared service ethos,......?.

There were two issues that are causing concern.

The first is how are the Barnet Council going to overcome the tricky issue of Capita?

Capita currently provide IT services for Harrow Council. Barnet Legal services are currently advising all of the One Barnet projects and using Barnets IT service. They will still have to support the One Barnet projects after they transfer to Harrow, BUT then they will be using IT services provided by Capita.

Capita Group and Capita Symonds are bidding for both outsourcing contracts worth up to £billion pounds.

The staff were told a solution is being worked on.......

The second issue concerns contract monitoring.

UNISON has been concerned about the lack of transparency and requested a copy of the Due diligence which has taken place to support the business case.

UNISON was informed there is no actual Due diligence document. UNISON asked if there was a Due diligence template and was told No.

UNISON asked how the Council was going to ensure the new shared service was going to deliver Value for Money for Barnet residents.

At first UNISON was reminded of the joint strategic board which includes both chief executives). UNISON was already aware of this and asked who would actually monitoring of the contract. Furthermore UNISON asked if the council would monitor outcome or outputs (sorry readers if you now fall asleep).

UNISON was informed that the Council was going to monitor outcomes &outputs and a contract manager would be appointed.

UNISON asked if this was one of the posts in the recent chief executive restructure and was told it was a separate post.

At the Legal services briefing yesterday UNISON asked when this post was being advertised. Staff were informed that they were still working on the details, but they could confirm it was a level four post which makes it a Head of Service post.

UNISON found this strange as the Chief Executives restructure involves all posts level four to level six. The Council has already started assessing staff for the new posts in the Chief Executives restructure and understands some staff have been successful and others not. The Legal Services Contract Monitoring post has not been made available for staff to apply........more later...

Barnet Unison Press Release : UNISON CALLS ON ERIC PICKLES TO INVESTIGATE BARNET COUNCIL

UNISON, the UK’s largest union, is calling on the Secretary of State, Eric Pickles, to launch an immediate inquiry into the use of consultants at Barnet Council after public sector tax avoidance hit the headlines in the case of Ed Lester the Head of the Student Loans Company.

The union believes that the proper employment and procurement practices have not been followed exposing the Council to significant reputational and financial risks.

Eric Pickles has already had to step in and reprimand the council, after local residents and Barnet bloggers exposed the METPRO Audit scandal when METPRO a private security firm were awarded a contract at a cost of over a million pounds - without a tendering exercise, written contact or any proper invoicing - to ‘keep an eye’ on local bloggers.

Laura Butterfield, Regional Organiser at UNISON, said:
“We are really concerned that proper procedures have not been followed at Barnet Council.  Over the last two years Barnet Council has employed a long list of consultants including the Deputy Chief Executive and Assistant Director of HR.  Only an immediate inquiry can clarify the correct processes were followed. Given Danny Alexander’s intervention in the Ed Lester case last week how can we ensure that future cases are avoided unless all public sector employees are employed through the correct processes?”

UNISON’s key concerns
·  The Council has failed to comply with its Contract Procurement Regulations (CPR) and Financial Regulations by employing consultants without any procurement/selection process being followed.– which exposes it to significant reputational and financial risks .

· The Council does not have accurate and complete centrally held contracts register and effective monitoring arrangements so are unable to confirm if this is an isolated incident.

·  The Council does not have a complete, centrally held register of contractors showing who is employed, on what basis and at what cost.

We recommend that all spend over the stated threshold in the CPR be reviewed and matched to a central contracts register (in development) in a timely basis.  This register needs to be drawn up in full and maintained.

Back in February 2011 the local UNISON branch submitted a report to all 63 Barnet Councillors on 10 February where they made the following recommendation

Recommendation
The Council undertakes as a matter of urgency a review of all payments to staff not employed directly by the Council.

Furthermore we recommend that the Council refer to the HMRC Guidelines in particular the advice to be found here that explains that “It's your responsibility to correctly determine the employment status of your workers - that is, whether they're employed by you or self-employed. This depends on the terms and conditions of your working relationship with each worker.

It's important to get your workers' employment status right because it affects the way tax and National Insurance contributions (NICs) are calculated for them. And it determines whether or not you have to operate PAYE (Pay As You Earn) on their earnings.”

Read full details here http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/paye/employees/start-leave/status.htm <http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/paye/employees/start-leave/status.htm>
For comment or more information please contact Laura Butterfield – 07718 520 850 / l.butterfield@unison.co.uk

End
Information links

1.   Student Loans chief 'to pay tax at source'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16854187

2.   Pickles attacks Barnet Councilhttp://conservativehome.blogs.com/localgovernment/2011/07/pickles-attacks-barnet-council.html <http://conservativehome.blogs.com/localgovernment/2011/07/pickles-attacks-barnet-council.html>

OneBarnet and the shafting of UNISON

So once all Barnet Council's employees are scattered far and wide and NLBP has become a TESCO's, what future is there for UNISON, the public sector workers union? Well (according to reliable sources) this can be summed up by a throwaway comment from Brian Coleman. "If the private sector want to fund the union and give them a free office, it's up to them". Coleman and co are persuing the OneBarnet agenda, because they believe that Unions should have no place in the workplace. Like many on the right, they believe "the market" should set the rates of pay. What they don't understand, because they've never worked in the public sector, is that good pay and conditions attract higher calibre staff who stay in post longer. Many of the most successful companies (BMW, Mercedes, etc) in Europe have workers representatives on the board. They recognise that a content workforce delivers quality. What Coleman and co don't appreciate is that if your aged mother has dementia and needs a care team, she needs continuity and caring staff. If they continually change and don't care about her, she will suffer.

British Rail was broken up for precisely this reason. Michael Portillo, then transport minister believed that by fragmenting the system, the Unions would not be able to shut down the country. So now we have a whole bevvy of private companies. Prices have gone through the roof. Whilst we have less strikes, anyone who uses First Capital Connect in Barnet will realise that this has been replaced by management failure. When it is your nearest and dearest who are left in their own shit for hours, because their carer on minimum wage, working for carers are us, who don't care, then you'll wish that UNISON was still around to make sure that those workers had been looked after.

It will be far too late.

One Barnet - Transforming Barnet Council - into Steptoe and Son

And on the theme of Steptoe and son, a large document just appeared on the doorstep. I've scanned the first four pages. It's entitled "One Barnet Procurement Principles" and placed these on the Future Shape Leaks blog - http://barnetfutureshape.blogspot.com/2011/10/barnet-council-secret-documents-one.html - for your perusal.

Section 1 rather ironically says "with the number of staff involved in the process managing confidentiality will be very difficult" - No s**t Sherlock. Barnet are always good for a snigger, if not proper punctuation !

Section two gets into the meat of how the Council want to sell us down the river. It proudly announces "The Council does not have to accept a variant bid if it is the highest scoring, so long as it has reserved this right in advance". In other words, we can take a worse bid, so long as we tell everyone the bidding scoring system is a complete joke.

Section 3 talks about new jobs created by the One Barnet project. It seems to say "We don't know if we want these to be in Barnet or not". My guess is that when cash is king, not is the likely outcome.

Section 4 is a lot of "newspeak" waffle which seems to say "We haven't really got a clue how this will work, so we'll cross our fingers and hope for the best".

Section 5 goes into a lengthy discussion of how the whole process is all about shafting the pension rights of Barnet Council employees.

Section 6 says that local jobs only need be protected if there is no other choice.


I guess it is section 7 that gives the game away "Accomodation can be provided free of charge or at market rental, either way, the cost of hosting services will be a charge to the Council".


It really is a horrible document. Part II will be analysed later this week. When it comes down to it, it is clear that Barnet wishes to apply the Albert Steptoe management principle. Viewers of the series will remember that Albert Steptoe employed his son. His son was welcome to do whatever he wanted, just so long as it completely suited Albert. This is exactly the same attitude as Barnet Council have to their staff.


It is disgusting

Barnet Council workers call on Council to donate strike day pay to charity

300 UNISON members will be taking one day strike action On Tuesday 18 October as part of a Trades Dispute which concerns the identity of the employer.

Unlike other strike action there is a twist.

On the picket line outside the headquarters of Barnet Council (north London business park) UNISON members will stage a short piece of street theatre to demonstrate the dangers of One Barnet Programme to residents, services and staff.

There will be two performances at 9am and 9.30 am.

At 10.30 am a number of strikers will be taking a coach trip across the borough in order to provide help and assistance to a local charity which is desperate need of help. The strikers will spend the rest of the day carrying a number of tasks for the charity.

UNISON members are calling on the Leader of Barnet Council not to pocket the money he has saved from the strikers and instead donate that money to the Mayor’s Charity

• Barnet Young Carers And Siblings 'BYCAS'
• The Outward Bound Trust
• The Alzheimer's Society

Later on the same day other UNISON members are supporting ‘Operation RESDIENTS MUST KNOW!’ by handing out newspapers and leaflets to Barnet residents outside tube stations across Barnet.

The day’s activity will end with a Candlelight Vigil outside Hendon Town Hall from 6.30 pm before the Planning Committee begins.

Barnet Easy Council is promoting the ‘One Barnet Programme’ (OBP) which is being rolled out across all council services. They previously identified up £3 Million to implement what was called Future Shape policy. The latest brand One Barnet programme has £9.2 million budget to pay the bills of expensive consultants to carry out this mass outsourcing programme. The workforce implications of OBP could be that 70% of the council workforce could be transferred to the Private sector in little more than 15 months time.

John Burgess Barnet UNISON Branch Secretary said

“The Council is gambling that the private sector can deliver £100 million savings over the next 10 years. We have seen no evidence to substantiate these claims. In other parts of the country we have seen the consequences of such blind allegiance to public sector bad private sector good. Our members are not daft; they can see that redundancy and cuts to jobs and services are behind the transfer from the council to a private sector contractor’

Strike action is always a last resort, for the last three years we have been asking for a genuine dialogue with the council to explore ways to save money, improve services.

Barnet UNISON is asking for the One Barnet Programme to be put on hold whilst meaningful talks with staff, trade unions and residents take place to look at alternatives to the One Barnet Programme.

End.

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

Background

Information:

Barnet Easy Council gained notoriety in 2009 when they launched the budget airline model for public services. In 2010 the model was criticised in a report by the external auditors as having failed to draw up a proper business plan. The business case produced by Barnet easyCouncil supports the policy direction promoted by Prime Minister which seeks to break state provision (in this case privatise council services) and offer the Voluntary & Private Sector to run public services. 

Useful Links

1. What is One Barnet? – Residents newspaper ‘Our Barnet’

http://barnetalliance.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/baps_2_aug_2011-page-011.pdf

http://barnetalliance.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/baps_2_aug_2011-page-011.pdf

http://barnetalliance.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/baps_2_aug_2011-page-041.pdf

2. Audit report slams Barnet Council over MetPro scandal

http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/9070396.Audit_report_slams_council_over_MetPro_scandal/

3. Analysis of Development and Regulatory Services Business Case, London Borough of Barnet

http://www.european-services-strategy.org.uk/news/analysis-of-development-and-regulatory-service/

4. Financial review of Business Case Report for Barnet Borough Council Unison

Branch

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/Report%20to%20UNISON%20on%20DRS%20Business%20Case_0.pdf

5. Metronet http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8544491.stm

6. PFI contracts poor performance

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14574059

7. Rip off Government IT contracts

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmpubadm/715/715i.pdf

8. Public service reform … but not as we know it!

http://www.redpepper.org.uk/public-service-reform-but-not-as/

9. Pickles attacks Barnet Council

http://conservativehome.blogs.com/localgovernment/2011/07/pickles-attacks-barnet-council.html

10. Barnet UNISON STRIKES BACK VIDEO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhUmnNPhGYs

BARNETEYETV - Barnet Council Strike - Interview with Unison rep John Burgess

Here we have a fascinating interview with Barnet Unison rep John Burgess on the issue of yesterdays strike, the Toxic One Barnet brand and his pride in being a public servant.

Breaking News : Barnet to ditch One Barnet & sack Nick Walkley ?

Following my last post on Leadership, I have just been informed by an impeccable source, that we are going to see some very strong Leadership in Barnet. I have been told that Barnet Council are planning to ditch the One Barnet program and this may possibly spell the end for CEO Nick Walkley (although this is not clear).

The reason? It is (as ever in Barnet) purely political. The scale and level of resistance to the One Barnet program is such that the Conservative Party are spooked about the effect on the GLA elections for Brian Coleman. As there is an expectation that the race between Boris and Ken is going to be "tight" an anti Coleman/One Barnet backlash could cost Boris the mayoralty and bang a huge nail in the coffin of the Coalition government. The last thing Coleman needs is a constant stream of bad news between now and May if he wants to keep his £53,000 a year job at the GLA.

Brian Coleman has never been convinced by One Barnet and believes it to have become an albatross around the neck of the Barnet Tories. Coleman has long argued that if they drop the whole plan, then there will be nothing for the opposition to rally around.

The only issue they now have is how to present this complete humiliation as a victory. The Barnet Eye believes that the Coleman strategy is to shaft Barnet UNISON and say "We've destroyed the trade unions" so we can run the Council more efficiently. Coleman believes that if One Barnet disappears, UNISON will lose it's raison d'etre and will be easy meat.

What is unclear is what this means for Barnet Council CEO Nick Walkley. My source feels that he'll make a very good scapegoat, but this is pure speculation.

One thing which is very clear is that the pressure to drop One Barnet is from senior Tories both inside and outside of Barnet. Many BAPS officials were wondering about the fact Brian Coleman was in such a good mood at NLBP this morning. Now you know why.

Watch this space, there is plenty more to this story, but I really can't say right now for obvious reasons, but rest assurred we will keep you informed.

Barnet Unison Press release : 400 Barnet Council Workers taking Strike Action

6 September 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

On Tuesday 13 September up to 400 UNISON members working across the following services will be taking strike action

Trading Standards & Licensing, Land Charges, Planning & Development, Building Control & Structures, Environmental Health, Highways Strategy, Highways Network Management, Highways Traffic & Development, Highways Transport & Regeneration, Strategic Planning & Regeneration, Cemeteries & Crematoria; Parking Services, Revs & Bens,

The Trades Dispute concerns the identity of the employer. Barnet Council is promoting the One Barnet programme which is just a ‘remix version’ of the ‘contracting out’ ideology from the 1980’s. There are already several contracts out for consultation with the private sector. The value of the contracts (fast approaching almost £2 billion) has already attracted the big Private sector FAT CATS.

Up to 70% of the council workforce could be transferred to the Private sector in little more than 16 months time.

Dave Prentis general secretary message to Barnet UNISON.

“To the 400 UNISON members taking strike action: UNISON members across the country are standing shoulder to shoulder with you as you challenge this council – a council that refuses to listen to its workforce, a council that refuses to listen to logic or sense, a council now embarking on a reckless gamble”

“Last week our union commissioned a report on the impact of outsourcing on the council’s pension scheme. The report gave a damning assessment of the serious financial risks to the pension scheme as a direct result of One Barnet programme.

Heather Wakefield UNISON's head of local government,

'The widescale privatisation at the heart of One Barnet should be placed under the severest scrutiny by Government, Barnet's scrutiny committee and the people of Barnet themselves. The council's failure to ensure procurement procedures and the obvious detrimental impact on the Local Government Pension Scheme of privatisation of local services are just two good reasons for challenging the path that Barnet has chosen. The third is the waste of public money involved in the procurement process through payments to consultants, procurement costs and payments to shareholders - money which should be invested in local people and local services.'

John Burgess Barnet UNISON Branch Secretary said

“The Council need to recognise that ‘political dogma’ also known as One Barnet programme cannot be allowed to continue to expose residents, services and staff to a high risk strategy and expect them to pick up the bill.

What we mean by ‘independence’

A recent article “Greensquare Field – Planning to Outsource Planning posted on the local Barnet Eye Blog encapsulates conflict of interest’s issues:

“At the moment Barnet Council is in the middle of tendering to outsource a number of services, one of which is the planning service. In the running are a number of companies: Capita Symonds, Atkins, Jacobs and E C Harrison. The planning consultants who represent Higgins Homes plc, and have done through 2 planning applications, 2 planning appeals, a village green application and the draft LDF, work for Capita Symonds. If Capita win the tender, they will decide any future planning applications.”

As council services for Barnet as a place to live and work, our decisions must be 100% independent and free from any ‘conflict of interest’.

Barnet Alliance have recently published a newspaper their front page spells out the dangers of the One Barnet here

Barnet UNISON is asking for the One Barnet programme to be put on hold.

End.

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

Useful Links

1. Outsourcing Planning – local blog

http://barneteye.blogspot.com/2011/09/guest-blog-greensquare-field-planning.html

2. The potential impact of reduced active membership of the London borough of Barnet Pension Fund,’ (First Actuarial LLP)

To read summary click on link below

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/UNISON%20Barnett%20Council.31%20August%202011.SUMMARY.pdf

To read full report click on link below

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/UNISON%20Barnet%20Council%2031%20August%202011FINAL.pdf

3. Barnet Alliance newspaper ‘Our Barnet’

http://barnetalliance.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/baps_2_aug_2011-page-011.pdf

http://barnetalliance.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/baps_2_aug_2011_centre2.pdf

http://barnetalliance.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/baps_2_aug_2011-page-041.pdf

4. Life not so easy for council facing £1.5m outsource bill

http://www.localgov.co.uk/index.cfm?method=news.detail&id=100493

5. The ‘shrinking by outsourcing’ models 

http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/sites/default/files/Barnet_Briefing%20No%206.pdf

6. Directors Cut for Barnet Independence Day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3826zTEyhoI

                                   

7. Obama direct message to striking UNISON members

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H4csb-Sgz4&feature=related