It seems only yesterday that I blogged here about support for the Central Foundation School strike next week and mentioned that we needed to do more than petitioning and lobbying.Well, last week, Barnet UNISON circulated the latest information about the dispute between Fremantle, the outfit who run care homes in that borough, and UNISON and the GMB, representing the staff. This “not for profit” “third sector” provider is about to sack any staff who won’t accept cuts in pay and conditions (note the Fremantle "Head of Development" above left, clearly expressing what she thinks of Barnet UNISON).
The unions are balloting for strike action. The strike action would have commenced but for a legal challenge from the employer under the anti-union laws. Keep checking the Barnet UNISON blog to be kept up to date with this important dispute.
Blogging is useful only insofar as it helps us to undertake worthwhile activity for our unions and our beliefs.
I sometimes post stories about political disagreements and disputes within the union and labour movement (and these are not unimportant) – but it is most important not to lose our focus as socialists and trade unionists.
Our enemies are not each other (not even those who themselves seem to lose sight of this). Our enemies are bad employers who attack our members’ conditions and politicians who would allow these scoundrels to run all our public services. I hope everyone reading this blog – and every trade unionist blogger – will publicise this important dispute and take some action to support the Fremantle workers.
Email the Fremantle Chief Executive Carol Sawyer at carole.sawyers@fremantletrust.org and Catalyst (who are also involved) Chief Executive Rod Cahill at rod.cahill@chg.org.uk.
Also I have emailed Barnet UNISON this proposed petition which could be submitted to the Number 10 web site http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/new
"UNISON the biggest trade union in the UK has members who are home care workers in Barnet, London who were transferred to the company “Fremantle” under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations five years ago. Fremantle have now threatened to sack these employees on 1st April 2007 unless they sign new contracts worth 35 per cent less in pay, with reduced sick pay and holiday entitlement. We ask the Prime Minister to note the distress caused to residents who live in the care homes by the potential loss of trained and known staff; and to support the campaign being waged by Barnet UNISON against this appalling attack on already low paid workers; and calls on the Government to review employment law to prevent such abuses of public service workers in the future".
Posted by John Gray at 9:10 AM 0 comments
Labels: barnet unison, Fremantle, GMB
6 comments:
Nice post, though I'm sure I've seen something similar elsewhere.....
Also you forgot to mention that an Early Day motion has been tabled in support of barnet and unison see EDM1166
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parody
Marsha, remember imitation is the best form of flattery. So John when are you going to post on the regional committee.
maybe - it was a bit boring?
Dear Mr Gray
Thank you for your recent e-mail about the changes to terms and conditions in Barnet Homes.
Firstly, I would like to assure you that Fremantle is committed to ensuring that the high standards of care achieved in these services continue in the future. We are a proud Investor in People and have an exemplary training programme that supports all the staff that Fremantle employs. We are also proud of our reputation in the community as an equal opportunities employer which provides quality care services for its services users.
The background to the proposed changes is a complex one. Fremantle has engaged in a partnership with the Catalyst Housing Group, who own the care services, and with Barnet Council, who financially sponsor people who receive services. Since this major project commenced in 2001 the operating costs, primarily in relation to staff costs, have increased by about 33%. In order to ensure that the project is financially secure for the long term future Fremantle and Catalyst are working together to reduce operating costs.
I can assure you that we did not embark on the process of seeking to change terms and conditions lightly. By seeking to make savings by changing terms and conditions, we remain hopeful that we will not have to resort to achieving the necessary cost savings by making redundancies. It would also have been quite wrong to do nothing. Put simply, without making necessary cost savings we would not meet the future care needs of the residents of Barnet.
We have consulted extensively with staff and their union representatives on the proposed changes. After consultation and listening to staff’s main concerns, we found ways to reduce the impact of our original proposals. We were able to agree to preserve pay until April 2009 when it will be reviewed. Our proposal also preserves staff’s pension rights. Although we reluctantly had to issue notices to those staff who had elected not to accept the proposed changes, we are happy to report that a majority of the staff affected have now accepted contracts on new terms. I sincerely hope that the remaining staff (fewer than 10 people) will also choose to accept the new contracts. In this regard I would like to emphasise that these changes still maintain staff terms and conditions favourably in comparison with the private and voluntary care home sectors.
Our duty of care to service users means that we must ensure that services are provided within the available funding – in the longer term this is essential to protecting the interests of service users. I recognise the high quality of services in Barnet relies on the skill, dedication and experience of the staff team. Indeed, we hope by a comprehensive consultation process referred to above in which we have been engaged for several months to make these changes without any loss of staff. It is for this reason that we have taken great pains to listen to the concerns of staff and tried to address these in the final proposals. For example. pay has not be reduced by 35% (as you report) but will be frozen at current levels for three years, thereafter increasing in accordance with Fremantle pay policy.
It is our hope that all staff can now work together to ensure the future success of the organisation within the Barnet Community.
Carole Sawyers
Chief Executive
The Fremantle Trust
01296 619304
It is all very well to say that all but ten staff have accepted the reduced terms and conditions, as Carole Sawyers Chief Executive of Fremantle says, all staff have been encouraged to sign as not to have done so would have meant they would have been locked out. Such terms as locked out are redolent of Thatcherite employers the last of whom we hope to have seen following a change in Government. Sacking caring staff and hoping that they will continue to provide the same level of service for 30% less in wages is a high risk strategy which should be outlawed. Staff will strike and will get overwhelming support from the local people and nationlly from fellow trades unionists.
Post a Comment