No Genuine Negotiations for Blacklisted Workers

A group of major multinational companies that were involved in the recent blacklisting scandal announced a compensation scheme for those workers who were spied upon by the Consulting Association (which ran the blacklist and was funded by and reported to the construction companies).

A statement for the companies said that they 'all apologise for involvement with TCA and the impact that its database may have had on any individual worker'. The Blacklist Support Group, comprising former blacklisted workers, said 'forgive us if we do not crack open the champagne just yet...the only thing they regret is being caught'. The Blacklist Support Group later walked out of compensation talks describing the offer as 'not proposals designed for genuine negotiations' and vowed to continue with legal action against the companies.

Source International Centre for Trade Union Rights

Labour brands ‘bedroom tax’ in county ‘chaotic and unfair’

Thousands of people on a low income in Northumberland face the prospect of a ‘bedroom tax’ in April at the same time that people earning over £1m/year are due to get a tax cut of almost £100,000 per annum.

The new rules say that people only need one bedroom for each of the following: a couple, a person who is not a child, two children of the same sex, two children who are under 10, any other child and a carer providing overnight care. If you have an extra bedroom under these rules you will lose 14% of your housing benefit (25% if you have two extra bedrooms).

Nationally 660,000 people will be affected. The Government says people will be able to move to smaller properties but councils and housing associations say there are not enough. So a couple with two children aged 8 and 4 who live in a 3-bedroom flat face a 14 per cent cut in their housing benefit because the rules say they are ‘under occupying’. To avoid the penalty, they are forced to move to a privately rented 2-bedroom flat. They lose their security of tenure because - with private tenancies - their new landlord can evict them without a reason after just 6 months. Their private rent for a 2-bedroom flat is higher than their old rent for a 3-bedroom property and the housing benefit bill to the taxpayer goes up.

The council needs to be absolutely clear about how many people in Northumberland this affects otherwise our discretionary housing fund will be under further pressure as we look to prop up this mindless Condem policy.

It's just bad social policy and it does not make economic sense.

Source: ‘Council has ‘lost’ 1825 families hit by ‘bedroom tax’ – Grant Davey

http://northumberlandlabour.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/the-labour-party-in-northumberland-have.html

The Labour party in Northumberland have uncovered a ‘major black hole’ as the Liberal run administration in County Hall struggle to come to terms with the impact of the so called ‘bedroom tax’. Figures show that families will face penalties of £496 per year for 14% ‘under occupancy’ by one bedroom and a whopping 25%, £886 per year for those who ‘under occupy’ by two bedrooms

The ‘tax’ brought in by the coalition government to tackle ‘under occupancy’ has been branded as ‘a chaotic and unfair tax on struggling families’ by Labour in Northumberland.

The council estimated the ‘charge’ would hit 3,397 families across Northumberland but Labour has uncovered a ‘hidden group’ who the council didn’t know existed. Figures released by the National Housing Federation show that the actual figure impacted by the bedroom tax is 5,222.

The council now face accusations that ‘they’ve lost control and have seriously underestimated the impact of the tax on Northumberland’.

The storm over the impact of the tax also extends to the lack of affordable housing available in the county as the council also acknowledged in its Housing Needs Survey that it would need to build 240 homes every year for decades to meet the need for affordable housing.

Labour are demanding council leader Jeff Reid makes a statement clarifying the true council’s true position on the impact of the bedroom tax and its impact on the recently agreed council budget.

Labour group leader Grant Davey said

‘The council has ‘lost’ 1825 families while it has been preparing for the impact of the bedroom tax. How can we have confidence that the council is ready for the ‘tsunami of misery’ unleashed by this regressive tax? Jeff Reid needs to get a grip on his council and come clean about the true impact of this raid on the living standards of people living in social housing’.   

Notes to Editors

Attached letter to Ronnie Campbell MP which gives the number affected by the ‘under occupancy’ charge as 3,397 across Northumberland

Source: See attached letter

Research for NHF shows that in

1.    Wansbeck – 1355 households will be affected

2.    Blyth – 1321 households will be affected

3.    Berwick – 1335 households will be affected

4.    Hexham – 1211 households will be affected

Total affected – 5,222

Source:

http://www.greenbenchesuk.com/2013/03/how-many-bedroomtax-victims-are-there.html

Performance Related Pay would be a step backwards

Following the earlier posting on the Northumberland Labour Leaders blog, I'm concerned of the arrogant disregard for the workforce from the Tories following the statement where it alleges they would introduce performance related pay (PRP) for Northumberland County Council staff.

A new system would give managers and head teachers more power to decide on individual salaries, with I'm surmising  proposals recommending that pay progression be linked to an annual performance appraisal but maybe it could be the colour of your eyes or whether your the bosses best mate!

PRP is fundamentally inappropriate for a Local Government pay structure, where outcomes are based on teamwork and the cumulative contribution of a number of staff, it also makes the council vulnerable to equal pay claims.

The NJC pay structure provides a coherent framework for career progression and is equality proofed, if such a PRP scheme were to be implemented, the council would expose themselves to Equal Value claims.

My concern is at the core of this the Tories aim to reduce pay rates at the expense of the staff.

My view is this would be a backward step for equality and a very costly mistake which could cost the council millions.

I believe if you are a public sector worker, voting for the Tories would be a costly mistake and they'd end up tying the council into paying legal bills instead of fixing the roads and protecting services.

Remember your vote counts in the forthcoming Northumberland County Council Elections on 2nd May 2013, Vote Labour.

Link http://northumberlandlabour.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/tory-pack-leader-councillor-peter.html

UNISON members commence industrial action at Northumbria Healthcare Trust

UNISON members commenced industrial action last thursday, with a rally at Hexham General Hospital in a dispute over car mileage which sees the reimbursement rate drop from 47p to 24p per mile for vital community based staffs that use their own cars, resulting in financial hardship for many.

As a governor of the Foundation Trust, we have little say on the decisions which effect those staff concerned although I do empathise with their position as the Northumberland County Branch of UNISON to which I'm Joint Branch Secretary are going through a similar sort of consultation.

I find it difficult that the trust are in affect having a pay cut to many of these users as they use their own vehicles for the benefit of the trust, covering one of the largest geographical areas across Tyne & Wear and Northumberland.

George Barron, UNISON Branch Secretary said, “It is unfortunate we had to ballot our members but we do believe it was the right thing to do and we will not stand for attacks on our National terms and conditions.”

I will try to do everything within the little power trust governors have to retain the current arrangements and I send a message of solidarity to all concerned.

Campaign against sell-off starts in Northumberland

UNISON has launched a campaign against 'reckless' council plans to sell-off services and over 1,000 jobs. UNISON’s campaign material makes a mockery of the councils Love Northumberland – Caring for our Community logo stating it cares very much for Northumberland and it’s council services.

The "Northumberland is Not For Sale" campaign will work with other unions, community groups and the public to expose the dangers of the council's 'alternative business models'.

"Services like front line customer contact, revenue and benefits, catering, cleaning,  cleansing and vehicle and grounds maintenance, along with HR are all up for grabs with cultural services, transport and legal services also being primed for outsourcing through multi-million pound 'strategic partnerships' - privatisation, to you and me", said Joyce Guthrie, UNISON Joint Branch Secretary.

"UNISON's own studies have revealed that, at best, council claims about savings are wishful thinking. No credible evidence exists to support them. Worse still, the evidence that does exist points to failures, worse services, increased costs and huge bills to bring failed services back in-house.

To go ahead with this, in an exercise likely to cost hundreds of thousands of pounds wasted on consultants, without learning the lessons of the last attempt at the tendering fiasco when the Unitary authority was established was nothing short of reckless.

If services are delivered in-house with no need to make a profit, how can they be delivered more cheaply while making a profit on top? Something has to give and that is usually the quality of the service or indeed the whole service - along with any decency in the pay and conditions of those delivering the service", added Joint Branch Secretary, Joyce Guthrie.

"You still pay your taxes but instead of the money going on the service and those who deliver it, it goes to company profits. Like the banks, these companies will become 'too big to fail' and will have the council over a barrel. It is time for the council to abandon these plans and concentrate on efficient and quality services in-house".

UNISON’s other Joint Branch Secretary Ian Fleming said, "The union has stressed that it is always ready to fully engage with the council on better and more efficient ways of delivering quality services. "However, management seem to have dismissed the idea to seriously looking at in-house options and making no real attempt to look at improving services, just a headlong drive to privatise".

"Staff are demoralised at how they are being treated with their jobs and now to say they are potentially going to be privatised leaves even more uncertainty”

“It seems to UNISON that the council are moving at a rapid speed in order to implement their plans prior to the County Council elections in 2013”