D-Day (Disappearing Day) 16 December 2014 at 7pm

This is the day when the supposedly not pre-conceived alternative delivery provision journey starts which, more likely than not, will unaccountably and mysteriously (actually not mysterious as without someone defying the "leader" Richard Cornelius the nodding dogs of his party will all say "aye") end up with yet more services being outsourced to distant lands (Coventry, Southampton, Belfast etc) to companies like Capita who, after 15 years of running a call centre, offer a pathetic service such as not knowing the names of even the most senior staff (they didn't know who the £100k+ a year boss of Barnet Homes was when Labour Cllr Devra Day found out when she was sent to Coventry).

If everything under offer on the table gets outsourced the council will have shrunk in recent years from 3,200 directly appointed and accountable employees to just 332 (more info here). If you think that is not a good idea contact your councillor and tell them so (find them here by postcode) and go to the meeting and see what the councillors that you pay allowances for, get up to. It should be a lively & interesting evening. Do go along.

Mr Mustard's opposition to this outsourcing is that the way the council are currently going about it we get poor service, are locked into 10 year contracts and a year after transfer the staff who have been TUPEd across are at risk of being forced onto adverse contractual terms. If the council want to swing the axe and cut staff numbers and pay rates then they should hold the axe handle themselves and be ready to demonstrate to the public why this was the right course of action.

Yours frugally

Mr Mustard

News from labour

Outsourced

News from Labour

London Borough of Barnet Labour Group
We’re on your side
For immediate release
6 December 2012

www.labour4barnet.com

www.betterbarnet.org.uk

Barnet to agree easyCouncil mass outsource today.

Tonight, 6th December at 7pm, the Barnet Conservatives will be making a decision at Cabinet which will fundamentally change the way Barnet Council is run and how services are delivered.

Customer Care, Council Tax collection, Benefits, I.T., finance, procurement, estates and H.R. will be outsourced on a 10 year contract worth up to £750million pounds to Capita.

Next month the council will also outsource Planning, Licensing, Environmental Health, Trading Standards, Regeneration and Housing Strategy, Highways, Land Charges, Cemetery & Crematorium and Building Control.

This is a huge risk which is unprecedented in size and scope - 70% of council services will be out of the council's direct control. It is a fundamental change to the democratic control which residents and councillors will have over local services. In 2014 residents will be able to vote out councillors responsible for this decision, but we cannot vote out Capita.

Tonight’s decision is more than just a vote on how services are delivered. It will be a vote that affects the openness, transparency and democratic accountability at the heart of our local Council.

Leader of Barnet Labour Group, Cllr Alison Moore said: “This could mean the end of local democracy as we know it. A vast swathe of critical council services will be tied-up for at least 10 years, with no guarantee that the service will be better or cheaper, and no cost-free get out of jail card. I appeal to all those Conservative councillors who are having private doubts to vote according to their conscience, not the Tory whip, and send this proposal packing.”