I was really pleased that my last major project for Napo was giving the Bill McWilliams Lecture at the Institute of Criminology, Cambridge University, last Wednesday, 25 June.

The title of my lecture was “Speaking up for Probation.”

I attach a copy of the speaking notes that I used for the lecture along with a copy of the PowerPoint I used showing the various organograms we have been subjected to over the past few years.

Speaking Notes for Lecture:

Download file

Herewith also the Powerpoint presentation I made on the various NOMS Organograms we have lived through:

Download file

And is here is Napo's commentary them:

Download file

I will be writing the lecture up as an essay for the 'Howard Journal' where it will be published next year.

It is amazing when we remind ourselves of what the Service has been subjected to, and continues to be subjected to, that it performs better than ever against all objective measures.

That is a major tribute to probation staff.

CAFCASS staff can also be proud of their contribution to a now well established and successful service.

I had a question at last week’s lecture from a TPO asking how they as an individual could speak up for Probation.

My answer was to join and get active in Napo.

My last words –in this blog at least- to all those in the Probation Service and CAFCASS, who care about their professions as well as about decent terms and conditions, is to join and be active in Napo.

I have been privileged to have been Napo’s General Secretary for the past fifteen years. I leave Napo in good hands with Jonathan Ledger replacing me as Napo General Secretary.

I have been a committed trade unionist all my working life because I identify with the values of the trade union movement and also because I am a passionate believer in acting on ones beliefs.

Working people don’t have to sit passively and watch employers and politicians take all the decisions. Sometimes they get it wrong!

In our campaigns as trade unionists, be it on pay and conditions or, be it on professional issues, we may not always win out-right, but we can and often do, make a big difference.

We can only do that by being strong, and that means having as many members, and as many active members, as possible. And then acting collectively.

Napo is not about those who lead Napo from the centre. It is about Napo members.

So keep Napo strong. Ensure you are a Napo member, attend Napo meetings, and contribute to Napo policies.

I will keep an eye on Napo’s website and I will always be rooting for Napo and its members.

Thanks to all of you for a great fifteen years.

Judy

Monday saw the leaks of the dreadful Louise Casey’s report , subsequently published on Thursday, recommending tougher, humiliating, and apparently privatised unpaid work projects.

Tuesday saw a report on plans from Ed Balls, the Children’s’ Minister, to ensure that youth justice was about effectiveness rather than being tough for its own sake.

Below is Napo’s press release commenting on the Casey Report, and here is a first class article by Ian Loader, an Oxford Professor of Criminology.

Here is also a first class Guardian editorial on why Casey is wrong.

Harry was rightly vocal for Napo on the failings of the report, but where were our Ministers? Where was a voice for the Probation Service itself?

I am currently preparing for my Bill McWilliams lecture in Cambridge next week, on the theme “Speaking up for Probation”.

Last week’s events were one more example of the lack of a clear official voice speaking up for the Probation Service, and loudly saying that Casey’s report is rubbish.

Last week I was also quoted in the Financial Times on the problems of public sector pay, and the fact that we might need to consider industrial action, possibly jointly with other unions. I am referred to as a “retiring General Secretary”. Read that as you will!

Casey Report on Criminal Justice

Commenting on leaked abstracts of the Casey report on criminal justice Harry Fletcher, Assistant General Secretary of Napo the Probation Union, said:

“Any moves to increase the involvement of the community and magistrates in the oversight and planning of community penalties is to be welcomed. However, putting offenders in uniforms, naming and shaming them on billboards and making community service as demeaning as possible will not reduce crime. The proposals will humiliate offenders rather than rehabilitate them. Wherever possible community work schemes should repair the damage done to individuals or communities. Any variation in sentence should be left to courts not probation staff. Probation must not be put in the position where it is judge and jury."

He added: " It is essential that the Government reviews its policies for victims to ensure they are centre stage".

At 1.00pm I chaired a rally of several hundred trade unionists at the Central Hall Westminster, the TUC Speak up for Public Services Rally, which preceded the lobby in the House of Commons that afternoon.

I was really pleased to introduce Jonathan Ledger, Napo’s new General Secretary, as one of the speakers, in addition to people like Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary, Dave Prentis, Unison General Secretary and Mark Serwotka, PCS General Secretary.

There was a really good turn out of Napo activists at the Rally.

3.00pm I addressed the Justice under Stress Rally which was held in the House of Commons and had an impressive line up of speakers from the Trade Union movement as well as parliamentarians.

Here are the notes that I used for my address.

Download file

Later in the afternoon, 4.00pm, was my farewell do, also in the House of Commons. It was a great event, with so many old friends and colleagues there, from Napo and accross the trade union movement, as well as the world of CAFCASS and Probation. I hope I might be able to put some pictures of the party on this site soon.

I’m still working for Napo until the end of June, but will be concentrating on my Bill McWilliams Memorial Lecture for the next couple of weeks. The theme of my lecture will be “Speaking up for Probation.”

Update:

Some pictures of the two rallies and my farewell do are now below.

The do even got mentioned by Jack Straw in Parliament the next day, when talking about Early Release!

Here are some pictures of the Justice Rally - and the setting which Dave spoke of in his Discussion Forum entry!

And here some pictures of my farewell do, including one of Jonathan telling Jack Straw that he needed to sort out Probation pay!

It would be good to think that this show of strength, with 94% voting "yes" to action, is sufficient to make the Employers reconsider their position.

We shall we see.

Here is a copy of the Action on Pay Bulletin we issued today:

Download file

Here is a copy of the Press Release:

Download file

I see from "Dash24" that Jack Straw is happy to talk to us about pay.

We will take up Jack's offer.

Why, for example is the only vaguely current organisational chart for “NOMS” on the Prison Service website, not the NOMS website? Why I can’t find a link to this chart from the MoJ website or the National Probation Service website?

Why have all the forum for consulting trade unions on organisational change been cancelled or postponed?

Will there be a Director of Probation when all Baords become Trusts?

If not, who will speak for Probation?

Why is the Director of Probation no longer responsible for Probation HR?

Why does Probation HR now come under Prisons HR?

Why are ROMS now line managing Chief Officers?

Why are we receiving rumours that Ministers are considering reducing the 42 Probation Areas to 10 or even 1?

We put some of these points/ questions to David Hanson, Prisons and Probation Minister when we met him last night.

He promised we would be consulted before final decisions were made.

We shall keep him to that.

It is vital tht we have a large turnout and a large "Yes" vote for action.

Here is the latest Pay Bulletin issued to Branches.

Download file

A large “YES” vote will assist us as negotiators to see if it is possible to resolve this dispute without industrial action.

The Employers have the nerve to tell us that staff morale is high. A large turnout in the ballot and a clear vote for action will show that up for the nonsense we all know it to be.

The ballot closes on 30 May and any member who has not received a ballot paper by 12 May should contact the Membership Department at Napo.

Here is a copy of the Joint Statement we have produced with Unison on the reasons to Vote “Yes” for action.

Download file

More dates for negotiations are being planned, but in the meantime the indicative ballot, seeking membership support for the principle of industrial action, is being put in hand.

Ballot papers will be going out next week with a closing date of the end of May.

A more detailed Pay Bulletin is below.

We have sent solidarity greetings to the NUT, PCS and UCU, all of whom have strikes over pay tomorrow, (Thursday).

Download file

We’ll let members know the outcome of next week’s National Negotiating Council.

On another subject, good to see the Guardian still plugging the case for Probation to have an increase in funding.

Having had our knuckles rapped by Ministers for not having anything other than the fullest appreciation and gratitude for the extra £40m, its good to know we are not the only ones who recognise that more resources are still desperately needed.

Pay Bulletin:

Download file

Steve was the NUT’s General Secretary, and was widely regarded as a really genuine and warm man as well as being an inspirational leader.

The tributes in this morning’s Guardian give a good idea about the sort of man he was.

Steve worked closely with Napo in our campaigning on public sector issues; opposing privatisation and campaigning for decent pay for public sector workers.

On behalf of Napo I have sent our condolences to his family.

Probation Employers will not however pay increments at this stage and have as yet made no offer in response to our pay claim.

Napo's NEC decided at its March meeting that we should conduct an indicative ballot of Probation members to see if there is support for industrial action should it be necessary this year.

We are pleased that Unison has also agreed to this action, and we have agreed a Joint Statement on the indicative ballot which will be held in May.

Please see below a copy of the Action on Pay Bulletin No 3 issued today which also contains the Joint Statement with Unison.

Download file

April Fool?

Today, 1st April, is the operative date for Probation members to receive their increments and the pay rise they are entitled to expect; a pay rise which should, as a minimum, ensure pay remains in line with the rate of inflation.

This year our Employers are refusing to pay increments from 1st April and to date no offer has been received on the pay increase due despite the Trade Unions’ claim having been lodged on 15th January.

The Employers are insisting that this year the rate of incremental progression is included in the annual pay negotiations. Although no pay offer has yet been received we know that the Treasury is insisting that public sector pay settlements are consistent with a target of 2% inflation, even though the retail price index is currently increasing by over 4% per annum.

Although we always knew that negotiations would be difficult this year as a result of the Treasury policy on public sector pay, we were unprepared for our own Employers taking such a draconian approach to their own staff. In responding to our pay claim the Employers have also indicated that that they are looking to attack other conditions of service such as sick pay and are threatening to introduce performance related pay.

As in previous years, we would seek if at all possible, to negotiate a good outcome for members without recourse to industrial action. We sense that this year it may however be necessary to be ready to consider industrial action, which may need to include strike action as well as action short of a strike, such as working to contracted hours.

Indicative Ballot for Industrial Action

Napo’s March NEC meeting agreed that we should in the first instance conduct an indicative ballot to see if members will support a campaign of industrial action. A move to a statutory ballot will follow if the indicative ballot shows support for action and if progress cannot be made by negotiations alone.

We have now agreed a common approach in respect of the indicative ballot with Unison as it would clearly be important to act together to ensure that any action taken has maximum impact.

As the joint Napo/Unison statement on page 2 sets out, we have agreed to run the indicative ballot during the month of May and we are asking Napo and Unison Branches at a local level to establish joint committees to organise local campaigning action.

In entering this year’s pay negotiations, as your negotiators we need to know if members are prepared to back us with industrial action, should it prove necessary.

More detail will follow on the next steps in this year’s pay campaign.

Judy McKnight
General Secretary
1st April 2008

4 Chivalry Road, London SW11 1HT
Telephone 020 7223 4887
Fax 020 7223 3503
N19-08
www.napo.org.uk

Probation Pay Dispute - Joint Napo/Unison Statement

At the meeting of the National Negotiating Council (NNC) on the 4th March Napo and Unison jointly registered a dispute following the Employers’ confirmation of their decision to withhold the payment of increments to staff on the 1st April 2008.

Whilst the Employers accept that staff have a contractual right to incremental progression they are insisting that the rate of progression is agreed as part of the negotiations on the trade union pay claim for 2008/09. The unions have made clear that this is unacceptable:

􀁑 there is no written agreement suggesting increments should not be paid as laid out in he 3 year pay deal ending on the 31st March;

􀁑 it is unjust and potentially discriminatory;

􀁑 it will mean staff face a pay cut as a result of the increase in pension contributions from the st April.

Negotiations with the Employers are continuing in the hope of resolving this dispute (as well as addressing the formal pay claim) but the unions believe we must consider other options in pursuit of justice for our members in the Probation Service.

Next Steps

Napo and Unison have met nationally and agreed the next steps in our dispute. We have agreed to hold an indicative ballot of members to establish support for our dispute and commitment to any action that might become necessary if negotiations are unsuccessful. However, it should be noted that industrial action can only be taken following a statutory ballot of all members.

Branch Action

􀁑 Napo/Unison Branches are to establish joint committees immediately which will organise and implement local campaigning and disseminate information related to the dispute.

􀁑 The indicative ballot will start on 1st May – the joint committees will be asked to organise workplace meetings on that day which will promote the ballot and focus on the reasons for the dispute.

􀁑 The indicative ballot process and format will be confirmed shortly and Napo and Unison members will receive a ballot paper with identical wording.

􀁑 The ballot will close on the 30th May.

Further information will be provided to Branches and the joint committees in due course. Branches are asked to provide their respective National Officials with the contact details of their joint committees as soon as the information is available.

Any questions regarding this Circular should be directed to Jonathan Ledger, Assistant General Secretary, for Napo Branches or Ben Priestley, National Officer, for Unison Branches.

Judy McKnight Ben Priestley
Napo Unison

Here is a copy of the Pay Bulletin issued to members.

Download file

Bulletin No 2

Probation Employers Stop Increments

Dispute Registered

A dispute was registered by the Trade Union Side at the National Negotiating Council on 4 March, when the Employers confirmed that they would be withholding the payment of increments from 1 April.

The Employers refused to take account of the points made by the Trade unions, namely that:

 Increments are an agreed contractual right.

 There is nothing in the 2005/2008 pay agreement which means the payment of increments on the current basis – three increments before the development point, two on it and one after it - should cease on 1 April.

 Staff are appointed to a pay band not a pay spine.

 Withholding increments could result in taking longer to progress to the scale maxima – arguably the rate for the job- despite the fact that the Employers have previously conceded that the bands are already too long.

 Withholding increments puts the Employers in potential breach of equality legislation.

 In other public sector areas such as local government, the police, teaching and the NHS, increments are not affected by the annual pay increase.

 Their non-payment could mean a cut in take home pay for many members from 1 April as a result of the increase in pension contributions from that date.

The Employers accept that increments are a contractual right but insist that they want to hold payment back so that the actual size of increments is included in the negotiations on the annual pay increase. They said that increments, once agreed, will be backdated to 1 April.

They have stated that they want early negotiations on the overall settlement but have not yet made us an offer. They have been forced to recognise that negotiations will take some time as the Treasury imposes a range of obstacles to public sector pay negotiations.

We have reminded them that in past years it has often been December/January before members have received the increases agreed in their pay.

Employers Reject our Claim

The Employers have also given us a written response rejecting our pay claim of 5% or £1,000. No pay offer has yet been made.

A fuller analysis of the Employers’ letter will follow, but it includes wanting to hold back part of any settlement until agreement is reached on a range of issues.

These include

• flexible working
• harmonisation of working hours
• clarification of local negotiation parameters
• sickness absence
• and training arrangements.

They have also stated that from April 2009 they want movement through the development point to be based on performance.

On sickness absence for example, the Employers state that they have received representations from Boards about the high level and costs of sickness absence and they want to discuss the sick pay arrangements with us.

Attacking Pay and Conditions

It would seem that this year the Employers wish to attack our pay, our rights to pay progression and possibly attack other conditions such as sick pay arrangements. Members will feel let down by their employers who are acting in bad faith at a time when staff should be receiving support and encouragement.

We are yet to receive a pay offer, but no doubt they will be looking at the Treasury Guidance which states that basic awards should be no more than 2%. This is when the Retail Price Index is at 4.1% and many other costs such as energy bills are increasing by even higher amounts.

At a time when staff have ensured that the Service is performing better than ever against all targets despite all the uncertainties that have accompanied the various re-organisations of the past few years, we might have expected our Employers to have sought to find a pay offer that would increase staff morale.

This is clearly not the case.

This year we are likely to receive a pay offer that will mean a pay cut in real terms as well as an attack on incremental progression.

Napo and Unison agreed to register a dispute at the NNC earlier this week.

We now have to consider our response.

Napo’s Officers will be recommending to the NEC that, as a first step, we hold an indicative ballot to see if members are prepared to take industrial action in support of pay and increments this year.

Members are urged to support the call for action, to strengthen the hand of Napo negotiators in what will clearly be a particularly difficult pay round this year.

Judy McKnight
General Secretary

7th March 2008

The paper also contains the more detailed interview with Jack Straw where he praises our work.

We are still awaiting a formal announcement on the extra money that is supposed to be on the way, so the publication of these letters is timely.

It may not be enough and we may still have workload problems, but if it means TPOs get jobs, fills vacancies and stops redundancies - its a good start!

Here is my circular to branches today.

Download file

BR 13/2008
JMcK/JH

25 February 2008

To: Branch Chairs and Secretaries
CAFCASS Co-Convenors (for information)

Dear Colleague

Probation Service – Budget Increase

Napo has been informed that over the weekend Ministerial action has been taken to ensure a significant increase in the Probation Service budget.

Although we are still awaiting the precise details, Roger Hill has assured us that it is “substantial new money” from the Treasury and that the increase will be sufficient to fill all vacancies, stop redundancies and employ all TPOs.

The increase will need to be at least £40m this coming year to reverse the impact of the flat cash settlement, which effectively meant a 5% cut, and we will also need to see the size of the increase for the following two years.

It is not yet clear when we will have a statement with more information but branches will be notified as soon as we hear.

Clearly the crisis in the Prison Service and Jack Straw’s request to magistrates to increase the use of community sentences brought matters to a head. It was helped by the fact that this received a chorus of voices, not just ours, saying that Probation was also full.

I attach for information a copy of a letter I sent to Jack Straw on Friday, itself enclosing a copy of a letter I sent to the Guardian.

We have been told that Jack Straw is now assured of the effectiveness of the Probation Service and was impressed by the recent NAO Report on Community Sentences.

More information will follow, and clearly we need to see the details, but it sounds like good news!

Yours sincerely,

Judy McKnight

General Secretary