Sunday 11 September 2011

The Barnet Equation - Why One Barnet is a Toxic Brand

                           (Council Reputation) - ( Hike in CPZ parking fees + Other stealth taxes)
Barnet
Credibility  =       --------------------------------------------------------------------
                           ( (Industrial Action by staff) + (Metpro style cock ups)  + (BAD PR) ) * Blogs
                                                                                                                                         per
                                                                                                                                         cock up
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For those of you who are mathematically minded. This little formula explains why Barnet Council's credibility is at an all time low.

Yesterday this blog explained how there was widespread recognition that the One Barnet scheme had become a toxic brand and that pressure was being brought to bear both internally and externally to ditch it, so that it doesn't damage the election campaign of Tory Mayor Boris Johnson or GLA rep Brian Coleman.

Today we hear of plans afoot for Barnet to derecognise Barnet UNISON branch. This means that hundreds of council staff will be left without official representation and will immediately turn all of the resources of the National Unison organisation against Barnet, which can ill afford such a showdown. Barnet Council have clearly overlooked the fact that :-

a) UNISON have far more expertise in these sort of issues than the Council
b) It will further antagonise staff
c) It will cause a further and completely pointless escalation of industrial action

As Barnet are planning to ditch One Barnet, this industrial action is completely pointless.

The Barnet Eye blog calls on Barnet Council to

a) Think again
b) Engage in sensible dialog at leader level with trades unions
c) Stop playing politics and get on with running public services

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Many people have asked me if yesterdays blog was a wind up. No. It was reporting information from an impeccable source and long standing friend who is not given to indulging in tittle tattle and has a track record of being right about such things.

For all Barnet Council staff planning to strike, I must say this. A failure to fully support the strike may encourage elements in the Tory adminstration to think again and do yet another U-turn. A solid show of support for UNISON will ensure that the more sensible elements in the Barnet Tory party hold sway.

For once, I include Brian Coleman in my list of "more sensible elements" for his recognition that One Barnet is a Toxic Brand

1 comment:

baarnett said...

So Brian is shouting:
"What Do We Want?
A Solid UNISON Strike!
When Do We Want It?
On Tuesday Afternoon!"


(But only after lunch.)

But the formula should be an inverse-square-law: multiply what is on the bottom by itself. And finally, take off Brian's taxi fares, divided by the average Barnet Council Tax, from the overall result. The whole thing may go negative.