87% of UNISON members working for Barnet “easyCouncil” vote YES to strike action.

Barnet UNISON Press Release: 8 April 2015 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 87% of UNISON members working for Barnet “easyCouncil” vote YES  to strike action.

The Trades Dispute with London Borough of Barnet is over staff remaining in employment with Barnet Council. The strike ballot is a direct response to the five commissioning projects agreed at the 3 March 2015 Full Council meeting which would mean outsourcing the majority of the workforce into a variety of alternative delivery models.

1. Education & Skills and School Meals services

2. Library Service

3. Early Years: Children’s Centres

4. Adult Social Care

5. Street Scene Services

The Education & Skills and School Meals services is already in Competitive Dialogue discussions with the following contractors:

· Capita Business Services Ltd

· EC Harris LLP

· Mott MacDonald Ltd, trading as Cambridge Education

Looking at Capita’s track record http://www.capita.co.uk/who-we-are/our-history.aspx in bidding and winning contracts it is highly likely they will win this contract making it the third big contractthey will have won with Barnet Council.

UNISON Branch Secretary John Burgess said: The vote was never in doubt. The workforce in Barnet is amazing and resilient. The vote confirms that that our members have had enough of theideological obsession with outsourcing. The Council does not value the workforce which can be seen when unpaid overtime and long hours are never recognised when putting together bids for outsourcing projects. The fact that the Council refuses to run in-house comparators has made it clear to our members that their future employment with the Council is threatened.

Notes to Editors.

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

Background:

1. 'The revival of easyCouncil': Barnet Borough Council to roll out premium planning service

http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/11879187._The_revival_of_easyCouncil___Barnet_to_roll_out_premium_planning_service/

2. Barnet's 'easyCouncil' to part privatise planning service

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/feb/18/barnet-easycouncil-privatise-planning

3. "Easy council" scandal puts Town Hall outsourcing reforms in the spotlight

http://www.theguardian.com/society/patrick-butler-cuts-blog/2011/jun/17/barnet-easy-council-scandal-puts-reforms-in-spotlight

4. Mr easyCouncil defends his local government model

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2010/feb/03/mike-freer-easycouncil-interview

5. Barnet 'easyCouncil' privatisation challenged in high court

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/mar/19/barnet-council-high-court-budget-cuts

6. Barnet's 'easyCouncil' plan unravels as more Tories oppose cuts and privatising

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/nov/15/barnet-services-outsourcing-tories-row

7. From Easycouncil to Capitaville: Mike Freer and the One Barnet story

http://wwwbrokenbarnet.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/from-easycouncil-to-capitaville-mike.html

8. Barnet's 'easyCouncil' finds it hard to cut with £1.5m spent, £1.4m saved

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2010/oct/26/barnet-no-frills-council-overspends?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

9. Barnet 'easyCouncil' project lacks proper business plan, audit finds

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/sep/23/barnet-easycouncil-costcutting-plan-criticised

10. Barnet's 'easyCouncil' faces judicial review over outsourcing

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/jan/22/tory-council-challenge-high-court