Housing Services Phase 1: The answer to our problems – three more Assistant Directors?

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Staff are overstretched, the HRA is facing financial pressure and workers fear for the future of their jobs. Here at Lambeth, our bosses have the perfect solution—more high paid managers!

The Director of Housing has launched “phase one” of a restructure which has been expected since Lambeth Living returned to the Council last summer.

The “Phase One” proposals do not threaten any redundancies – quite the reverse. As well as changing a number of reporting lines (mostly for managers) the proposals seek to create three new Assistant Director positions. The Director has told the trade unions that, in “Phase Two” he will aim to move more staff into front-line housing management roles.

Because there are no redundancies proposed, the Council is permitted to allow only a short (one week) period for consultation – UNISON encourages members to look closely at the proposals so that we can respond as soon as possible.

UNISON want to know

  • Given the financial pressure on the Housing Revenue Account (and the Council’s Budget generally) how can we afford three additional senior posts?
  • How can we justify more highly paid managers in an already top heavy Council?
  • Since black workers are underrepresented at senior levels why is there no Equality Impact Assessment and no proposals for positive action in filling senior posts?
  •  As there are no proposals for redundancies in “Phase One” will the Council assure us of no compulsory redundancies in Housing in “Phase Two”?

The Council has ruled out compulsory redundancies in libraries – where UNISON members have taken strike action. If we want to protect our interests as workers in Housing we need to be prepared to stand up for ourselves.

If you are a UNISON member – contact your shop steward or Branch Secretary, Ruth Cashman

(RCashman[at]lambeth.gov.uk). If you are not a trade union member visit https://www.unison.org.uk/join/ now!

 

Council wasting money on keeping library closed

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carnegieoccupation Lambeth Council is wasting thousands of pounds on security guards in the closed Minet and Carnegie Library buildings. The cost of these security guards is more than it would have cost to keep them open in the first place.

A freedom of information request from the Guardian reveals the figures;between the closure of the libraries on 31 March and the 15 April when the request was made the council has wasted £35,392.68 on security, costing over £2,200 a day. Last year the libraries cost just £874 a day to run.
The decision by Lambeth Council to close several libraries in the borough was so unpopular it inevitably led to large demonstrations and an occupation of Carnegie Library. They could have avoided this entire mess if they had worked with the residents and staff to come up with an alternative that kept the libraries open.
As it is the reputation of the council has been ruined – the Progress dominated cabinet stand before the people of Lambeth as unaccountable and uncaring austerity pushing careerists who are happy to ride roughshod over the aspirations and wishes of local people.
And instead of saving money, this entire exercise is costing local people even more. Welcome to the Co-operative Council.

Flexible working time – guidelines and information

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A number of members have reported that their flexible working time arrangements have been cut back arbitrarily by managers.

Here is the guidelines for ensuring flexible working time isn’t taken away without proper consultation with the worker’s affected.

If any UNISON members feel this is something they are worried about then read these attached guidelines and please get in touch.

Reviewing Flexible Working Arrangements within Teams – guidance for UNISON members and stewards

Get involved, become a shop steward!

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Would you like to become a shop steward in UNISON?

A union is only as strong as its members, and its members are stronger when they are better organised. Lambeth UNISON has a number of stewards across the council who help members with any issues they might have at work.  Our stewards are the front line support for our members, helping with organising, listening to members’ views, and promoting democracy and participation. They are also active in recruiting new members – a very important role because the greater the proportion of workers who are members of UNISON, the stronger we are when it comes to having our voice heard, and the more likely we are to win campaigns.

UNISON provides full training for stewards so you can feel confident and capable to represent members and offer advice.

If you would like to take up this opportunity then please print off and complete the following form.

UNISON Stewards nomination form 2016

Please return this form to Paul Fitzgerald, UNISON, International House, by 5pm on Monday 6 June 2016 (or
scan and email to JABlake[at]lambeth.gov.uk).

If you have any questions please email either Ruth Cashman  or Jon Rogers (Rcashman[at]lambeth.gov.uk and JRogers[at]Lambeth.gov.uk).

Lambeth Council on local libraries: Frequently asked questions and non-answers

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For the last three months, Lambeth UNISON has submitted a series of questions concerning impact of Culture2020 and the closure of several of our libraries to be converted into “Healthy Living Centres”. Senior council officials have delayed responses and refused to treat our question seriously – they wouldn’t even give us a reply in an official meeting but told us to “Look on the website” for their response.

Below are the most relevant questions, their answers and our response. Continue reading →

Lambeth UNISON survey on the EU

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As part of a national survey of UNISON members, Lambeth branch asked our members to tell us what they thought of the various issues raised by the EU referendum debate.

Of the 190 respondants:

75% told us that they thought the EU referendum was very important to UNISON 

Of the issues that members were asked about, they responded as follows:

Workers’ rights, Public services and Equalities were the most important issue for our members in considering how they would vote in the EU referendum.
Migratio, equal treatment and welfare rights was the fourth most important issue for our members.

When asked which way they would like UNISON to campaign on this issue, 78% said they wanted UNISON to campaign to stay in the EU, 21% were in favour of a campaign to leave.

Alan Gibbons on Lambeth Council

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I’ll tell you what happens with impossible promises,
Like thinking that, in the world’s fifth richest country,
We can keep libraries open
And offer communities the possibilities
Literacy affords.
You start with far-fetched dreams,
Like children sprawled on the mat
Reading books,
Old people meeting to discuss
The newspapers and fiction,
The unemployed using computers
They can’t afford.
They are then pickled into a rigid dogma,
A code,
Called a comprehensive and efficient service,
And you end up in the grotesque chaos of a Labour council
-a Labour council-
hiring lawyers to scuttle round a city
handing out legal notices to its own people.

Alan Gibbons – award winning children’s author.