Last week’s news from our Napo representatives in Probation Northern Ireland that the long-awaited pay modernisation package has finally been approved by Northern Ireland Government, is a huge boost to hard working staff who have had to endure frustration over recent years prior to this outcome.
Probation Northern Ireland has lost many colleagues to better pay within other organisations and one of the goals of Napo and NIPSA has been to address pay parity issues with main competitors through this pay reform. Napo has worked hard to address the numerous problems with pay in PBNI which included overlapping pay bands, a lack of pay increases, lengthy pay scales, and the ongoing difficulties presented by different terms and conditions and pay structures within the organisation. The new arrangements will see all staff move onto a single pay framework with one job evaluation process and one set of terms and conditions.
Next steps
In the coming weeks PBNI HR/Finance will be in touch individually with all staff to provide details of the pay agreement and send staff a breakdown of their individual journey through the transition to the new pay framework, this will also be supplemented by a series of joint roadshows between management and the unions.
Napo and NIPSA have consulted with our respective lawyers and because the consultation will end with staff being required to sign new contracts of employment it will not be the subject to a ballot of PBNI member’s. The proposed Pay Modernisation Agreement is the best negotiated position that the unions could secure.
Napo General Secretary Ian Lawrence commented: ‘The tremendous levels of hard work and commitment that Fiona, Jen and Simone have put into the complex negotiations has been exemplary and a credit to their union. I also want to express appreciation to our sister union NIPSA and representatives from senior management for their meaningful engagement and work behind the scenes to help deliver this ground breaking deal.’