Support the YCB Care Workers’ Strike – Barnet

Hi Supporters

Our care workers begin two days of strike action tomorrow. For Monday & Tuesday this week we are organising two picket lines which start from 7.30 am but they will be there for at least five hours on each day so please pop down to offer support and solidarity.

Flower Lane day centre 41 Flower Lane, Mill Hill, NW7 2JN venue details here

Rosa Morrison day centre 85 Gloucester Road, New Barnet, Herts, EN5 1NA venue details here

If you can’t make a picket line we have organised a surprise rally outside Barnet House Tuesday 9 September at 1 pm, which we would welcome support.

This dispute goes to the heart of the Commissioning Council. Our goal is to get the Council around the table. We have agreed to meet with ACAS again on Friday 12 September however this meeting will only have a chance if the Council attend.I have produced three new post on our website but I have included them in the body of this email. Please have a read I think it demonstrates why we are targeting Barnet Council.

On twitter please use hashtag #YCB

 

1. When is failure not a failure……..Your Choice Barnet (YCB)

“Commercial risk ultimately remains with the Council and in the unlikely event of failure, the services will need to be brought back in-house.” 

(Source: Page 57 of the Business Case approved at Cabinet Resources Committee 24.May 2011 http://j.mp/WtVImC)

Since the service transferred out of the Council in February 2012:

·         Your Choice Barnet (YCB) had to take a £1 million loan from Barnet Homes (100% owned by Barnet Council)

·         Your Choice Barnet do not have the money to pay back a £1 million loan

·         Barnet Council are holding back payment of hundreds of thousands pounds every year from Your Choice Barnet

·         Barnet Council are not referring new business to Your Choice Barnet Unison

·         A third of the workforce were made redundant last year

This promise made in a public council committee meeting and it is our view YCB is failing and as they said in the committee “commercial risk remains with the Council” in which case they must take part in negotiations with Barnet UNISON & YCB.

2. Why Your Choice Barnet (YCB) Care workers are taking strike action

In the local press the YCB chief executive said “The rates of pay for Adult Social Care are a national issue”,  Yes we agree There is a national social care crisis AND Doncaster Care UK dispute is evidence of this BUT there is a local crisisin relation to how care workers are treated.

To those who want to know what has driven care workers to take strike action it is important you understand the perverse relationship with Barnet “Commissioning” Council and Your Choice Barnet (YCB). The current funding arrangements between Barnet Council and Your Choice Barnet are the cause of this dispute and that is why we are requesting Barnet Council to come to the table in order to try and find a resolution to this dispute.

It is important to note Barnet Council own Your Choice Barnet yet at the same time they are the architects of its current critical financial crisis facing YCB. If Barnet Homes had not provided Your Choice Barnet a £1 million loan(last year) then the service would have folded. On top of securing a £1 million loan, YCB cut our members terms & conditions and almost a third of the workforce were made redundant. However the ongoing financial crisis meant thatsix months later YCB came back for more.

Breaking News: Last week Barnet UNISON made a request to talk to Barnet Council about the current YCB dispute, unfortunately we were informed they would not speak with UNISON because the Chief Executive had told staff in a meeting last week the dispute had nothing to do with Barnet Council.

Barnet UNISON begs to differ. Over the last six months we have had detailed discussions with YCB in order to try and find a resolution. Having seen the financial accounts and understood the financial arrangements with Barnet Council we made the following proposals which we believe would give YCB a fighting chance to survive:

1. Barnet Homes writes off the £1 million loan.

2. Barnet Council stop penalising YCB for ‘no shows’.

3. Barnet Council pays up front to YCB in order to help the cash flow situation.

4. Barnet Council pays the going rate for the services being offered.

5. Barnet Council conducts an immediate investigation as to why Adult Social care services have referred only a handful of referrals in the last 2 and half years.

6. Senior management and other Service Level Agreement costs imposed on YCB are reduced.

7. YCB & Barnet Council find a more efficient way to invoice for services. The current arrangement is that Barnet Group invoice Barnet Council then YCB invoice Barnet Group.

8. YCB is allowed to independently procure its own support services and not be forced to use Capita CSG services.

To end this dispute and to support services for adults with disabilities Barnet Council must and should come to the table.

3. Come and join “Your Choice Barnet” (YCB) care workers over the next six weeks

Over the next six weeks YCB care strikers will be taking part in a number of actions. Please have a look and see if you can join them.

Monday 8 September 2014 strike action, picket lines at Flower lane, Rosa Morrison, Community Space, start 7.30 onwards.

Tuesday 9 September 2014 strike action, picket lines at Flower lane, Rosa Morrison, Community Space, start 7.30 a.m. onwards, Rally outside Barnet House 1pm.

Wednesday 10 September 2014 attend SWAN meeting Southbank University 6.30pm

Monday 15 September 2014 lobby outside Hendon Town Hall 6 – 7 pm

Wednesday 17 September 2014 Strike action, picket lines at Flower lane, Rosa Morrison, Community Space, start 7.30 a.m.

Thursday 18 September 2014 Strike action, picket lines at Flower lane, Rosa Morrison, Community Space, start 7.30 a.m.

Monday 22 September 2014 lobby and attend YCB Board Meeting, Barnet House

Tuesday 23 September 2014 lobby full council meeting.

14 October 2014 Strike action, picket lines at Flower lane, Rosa Morrison, Community Space, start 7.30 a.m. Day of National pay strike

Thursday 16 October 2014, Strike action, picket lines at Flower lane, Rosa Morrison, Community Space, start 7.30 a.m.

Saturday 18 October 2014 join TUC austerity demonstration.