Latest score : Worthing 25 : 1 Barnet

Parking Service transfers

Tuesday, 12 June 2012 at 14:19 - Schroder, Johnathan

Mr Mustard has had his red pen out again.

At the beginning of May the Parking Service transferred over to the new providers, NSL and RR Donnelley.

Declan Hoare, Assistant Director for Highways and Transport, said: (did he really come out with this rubbish or did he let Schroder put words into his mouth. If you did Declan accept these words, I suggest spit them out next time and write your own.)

"I am pleased that although the past few months created some uncertainty for staff, throughout the process staff, managers and unions have been able to work together very professionally and constructively. In turn NSL and RR Donnelley have been amenable to staff requests and have tried to accommodate them where possible. NSL have already made 11 back office staff redundant because they have moved the work to Worthing so those 11 have got certainty, "you're fired". "Worked with the union" Hmm, here is the union view from April 2011. Make up your own mind.

Both new providers were keen to share their job vacancies with staff in the weeks running up to the transfer as that would save on employment agency fees. One of the benefits that the council is hoping to achieve is that staff who transfer to new providers will have more opportunities for career development. One would have thought that a council with over 3,000 staff already offered a lot more opportunities for staff development than nearly every business in Barnet can manage. New opportunities are already now being made available. Several staff from the Parking Service have been retained in the council because it will take 5 people to monitor the external providers. and a few were found alternative roles within Barnet which doubtless led to some agency workers being terminated and they are local residents too.

It is important to remember that those who have transferred over to the new providers are still delivering public services in Barnet (but the 25 new jobs in Worthing have been lost for 5 years at least to residents of the London Borough of Barnet?) and as such are still part of the Barnet family which will the largest most dysfunctional and widespread family ever seen.. One of the key principles of One Barnet is that the council will have to work collaboratively with an increasingly diverse public sector workforce and this will mean some old colleagues ("former colleagues" surely?) who have moved on (they have not moved on except in the context that they had to find a new job, change location or be sacked) to new external providers." "Some" might mean 2,000.

Were you one of the Parking back office staff who was made redundant? Do you want to talk to Mr Mustard and perhaps have a guest blog, anonymously or otherwise. If you do, then send an email to mrmustard@zoho.com and you can tell the residents of Barnet what you think about your treatment.

Yours frugally

Mr Mustard