As a UNISON member, Barnet Council employee and resident, I stand by and defend the union in its action regarding the One Barnet Project, (‘Barnet Council disappointed by second strike’, times-series.co.uk, October 6).

Deputy leader and cabinet member for policy and performance Councillor Daniel Thomas, is quick to comment on the fact the amount paid to the union is too high and the unions should not be paid from the public purse.

He fails to publicise that councillors are allowing the administrators to outsource the majority of the services to the private sector. The private sectors would not be interested in tendering with the local authority unless they were able to make a profit from the venture. So is it okay for the private sector to make profit from the public purse? The council leader, councillors and management (which includes highly paid consultants) are happy for profit to be made from taxpayers’ money to be used to line fat cats’ pockets, rather then be used within the authority to provide better services to its residents.

The chief executive Nick Walkley recently wrote to all employees as follows: “As you will be aware, the council has made an offer to Unison that protects the pension rights and other terms and conditions, of staff who transfer, which goes beyond the statutory TUPE requirements. “We have informed unions that this, which goes far beyond what is demanded by legislation, is our full and final offer. “I believe it is a reasonable offer at a time when both public and private sectors are facing difficult times and we need to protect staff and public services.”

Mr Walkley fails to guarantee the location in his offer. Without this, any offers are unattractive and hold no value to the employee.

I urge all residents and employees to wake up and face reality. The One Barnet project will be devastating for Barnet.

There are so many examples of where the outsourcing has not worked.

However, our council leaders still continue to regardlessly plough into outsourcing.

The already depleted services will get worse and there will be job losses. We currently are one authority, but in the future, if we allow this to continue, we will be many Barnets with services being branched all over the country and there will be no such thing as a local authority. Councillors beware the highly paid consultants and the likes of Mr Walkley. They won’t be around when it comes to cleaning the mess they have left behind, but you will have to answer for what you are allowing to happen.

I will stand by the union which is trying to protect Barnet residents’ services and employees and will support them more as a resident than an employee, to protect the Barnet that I once used be proud to live in and work for.

Name and address supplied