500 signatures reached
To: Richard Cornelius Leader of Barnet Council.
Stop the destruction of Barnet Library Service and the sacking of Barnet Library workers
Barnet UNISON recommends that Barnet Council:
1. Terminates the search for an Alternative Delivery Model and retains the Library Service in-house as overwhelmingly demanded by the public and staff.
2. Agrees to prepare a Public Service Innovation and Improvement Plan for the Library Service in conjunction with library users, community organisations, staff and trade union representatives.
3. Draws down £2.162m spread over four years from the Council’s reserves of £15m. The same amount would be paid into the reserves over three years 2017/18 – 2019/20 from the increased revenue from a council tax increase from 2017/18. The proposal would only reduce the reserves by a maximum of £1.156m in 2017/18.
4. Increases Council tax by the maximum of 4% (instead of the planned 2%) in 2017-2018 and successive years with a £0.720m contribution for the three years 2017/18 to 2019/20 to rebuild the reserves to the current level. This would mean an additional cost for Council tax payers of between 29 and 86 pence a week.
5. Encourages and coordinates cross-service discussion of the role and colocation opportunities for community hubs in service delivery.
1. Terminates the search for an Alternative Delivery Model and retains the Library Service in-house as overwhelmingly demanded by the public and staff.
2. Agrees to prepare a Public Service Innovation and Improvement Plan for the Library Service in conjunction with library users, community organisations, staff and trade union representatives.
3. Draws down £2.162m spread over four years from the Council’s reserves of £15m. The same amount would be paid into the reserves over three years 2017/18 – 2019/20 from the increased revenue from a council tax increase from 2017/18. The proposal would only reduce the reserves by a maximum of £1.156m in 2017/18.
4. Increases Council tax by the maximum of 4% (instead of the planned 2%) in 2017-2018 and successive years with a £0.720m contribution for the three years 2017/18 to 2019/20 to rebuild the reserves to the current level. This would mean an additional cost for Council tax payers of between 29 and 86 pence a week.
5. Encourages and coordinates cross-service discussion of the role and colocation opportunities for community hubs in service delivery.
Why is this important?
‘First I am want to add my apologies to the event and the huge admiration for Barnet UNISON.I want to send a message of support to John Burgess & the Save Barnet Libraries campaign for their tireless & inspirational community campaign to protect their local Library service. I would encourage everyone to join their Kids4Libraries this Saturday 12 September. Barnet Council are determined to outsource all of their services I salute Barnet UNISON & the community campaign for their ongoing fight to defend public services.’ (Jeremy Corbyn September 2015, http://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/page/2/?s=Libraries )
Barnet Council has begun statutory consultation with all of the Library workers. The proposals seek to:
1. Sack 50% of the workforce.
2. Restrict the number of hours the Libraries are open with staff.
3. Limit access to Libraries for children under 16 and the disabled.
4. Replace paid workers with volunteers.
5. Prepare the remaining service for outsourcing.
6. Shrink the size of many of the Libraries.
This is an attempt to disguise the destruction of a Library Service which recently achieved a 93% customer satisfaction rating.
This proposal is yet another example of how Austerity policies are decimating public services.
Libraries are a valuable community asset and need defending.
Library services across the country are facing extinction, now is the time to join the fight for Libraries.
Incredibly, 11 July 2016 Barnet Council announced they would be increasing the size of their Press Team at a cost of £0.5 million a year, whilst cutting Library frontline services.
Every signature you secure for this petition does help the service and the morale of our members facing redundancy.
For further details:
https://youtu.be/_3XfibjbJuA
http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/14541517.___We_need_to_take_action______Barnet_library_workers_to_strike_over_cuts_to_service/
http://www.european-services-strategy.org.uk/publications/public-bodies/transformation-and-public-service-reform/options-appraisals/direct-and-collateral-damage-to-barnet-librari/barnet-libraries-unison-march-2016.pdf
Barnet Council has begun statutory consultation with all of the Library workers. The proposals seek to:
1. Sack 50% of the workforce.
2. Restrict the number of hours the Libraries are open with staff.
3. Limit access to Libraries for children under 16 and the disabled.
4. Replace paid workers with volunteers.
5. Prepare the remaining service for outsourcing.
6. Shrink the size of many of the Libraries.
This is an attempt to disguise the destruction of a Library Service which recently achieved a 93% customer satisfaction rating.
This proposal is yet another example of how Austerity policies are decimating public services.
Libraries are a valuable community asset and need defending.
Library services across the country are facing extinction, now is the time to join the fight for Libraries.
Incredibly, 11 July 2016 Barnet Council announced they would be increasing the size of their Press Team at a cost of £0.5 million a year, whilst cutting Library frontline services.
Every signature you secure for this petition does help the service and the morale of our members facing redundancy.
For further details:
https://youtu.be/_3XfibjbJuA
http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/14541517.___We_need_to_take_action______Barnet_library_workers_to_strike_over_cuts_to_service/
http://www.european-services-strategy.org.uk/publications/public-bodies/transformation-and-public-service-reform/options-appraisals/direct-and-collateral-damage-to-barnet-librari/barnet-libraries-unison-march-2016.pdf
How it will be delivered
We paln to deliver them in person
