Barnet depot workers owed £14,400 each in holiday pay ballot for strike

Around 90 Barnet Council depot workers are voting on strike action after being offered six months of backdated holiday pay for twelve years of unpaid overtime. The workers, who operate from the council’s main depot, are owed an average of £14,400 each, according to Unison figures. The internal ballot closes on 18 August 2026.

The dispute began in 2025 when workers noticed a new holiday payment on their payslips after Liberata took over payroll from Capita. The change highlighted that Capita had not included overtime in holiday pay calculations since 2013, despite a legal requirement to do so. Capita has stated it followed Barnet Council’s instructions.

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Workers confronted council leader Barry Rawlings during a depot briefing in August 2026. A waste worker, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Barnet Post that Rawlings became evasive before shouting: “The only way you’re gonna get your money back is by taking it away from the disabled children.”

A street cleaning worker present at the briefing confirmed the account. Both described the response as disrespectful. Rawlings has not publicly commented on the remarks. Barnet Council did not respond to a request for clarification by the time of publication.

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Union rejects ‘ridiculous’ offer

Barnet Unison branch secretary John Burgess called the council’s offer of six months’ backpay “ridiculous”. The payment amounts to 4p for every £1 owed, he said. For a depot driver, this means £600 instead of the £14,400 they are owed. All depot workers rejected the offer.

Burgess said the council had not pursued Capita for the missing payments. “We said from day one, back in July 2025, that if the council was short of money the answer was to go after Capita. Why are they not doing it?” he told the Barnet Post. Capita has stated it delivered the service as instructed by the council.

These are the people who empty our bins, clean our streets and maintain our public spaces. This is hard physical labour, working outside in incredibly difficult conditions. We must value the people who provide it, with good pay and fair conditions.

Charli Thompson, Green Party councillor for Woodhouse

What happens next

The internal strike ballot closes on 18 August 2026. Unison expects an industrial action ballot to follow within weeks. Burgess described the depot as a “powder keg” due to the ongoing dispute. Workers have said they will not accept further dismissals of their concerns.

Barnet Council said it is in discussions with unions about a goodwill payment, despite stating there is “no legal basis” for the claim. The council introduced correct holiday pay calculations for overtime in April 2025 but has not explained why payments were not made earlier. Liberata, the current payroll provider, has not commented on the dispute.