Napo not down and not out even if others would wish it to be so

Since last weeks news about the discontinuance of the Judicial Review application we have been busy preparing for the costs hearing that took place on Friday, and getting out as much information to you as we have been able to, notwithstanding the confidentiality restrictions. Another mail out is on its way this evening putting some of the outcomes in context.

You will know that we have organised a meeting of Branch Chairs which will take place this Thursday, and in addition have written to NEC members under confidential legal privilege to spell out the facts behind what happened regarding JR and why it happened and why the Officers were unanimous that we had exhausted our available options. We will be releasing more information as we have promised, once we have had that discussion with Branch representatives. Meanwhile, I wanted to say that nobody underestimates the fact that the decision has caused massive disappointment. We share it too. Many members have made a huge emotional investment in the hope that we could use the legal process as a means of saving Grayling from his own recklessness, but in order to rubbish his evidence we firstly had to secure it and then consider what the judges would make of it on the extremely limited parameters that were open to the Court.
 
We now know why Grayling has refused to release all his assurance tests up to now, and why he is still terrified that the CRC bidders might actually find out that he acknowledges there were, and are, major concerns about the safety of what they are being asked to buy. Todays report from HMI Probation:
 
 
makes it clear that while he does not believe there are safety considerations worthy of mention, (I will leave it to others to speculate on why not against the backdrop of the conflict of interest concerns publicised widely elsewhere) there are some 68 recommendations that need to be acted upon, and as you would expect we have sent in a briefing and some key questions to Parliamentarians this afternoon.
 
Message to the bidders
 
I have just signed off a letter (the second within a few days) and appendix which tells the would be owners of the CRC's that even though we are prohibited from showing them Graylings evidence it kind of looks like this.
 
Here is the link:
 
 
because its too long to reproduce, but I hope it finds some resonance with them as well as our members. Oh and by the way, they and you will be interested to know that Napo and Unison have formally registered a National Pay dispute at this afternoons meeting of the National Negotiating Council. More about this soon.
 
Message to the gloaters
 
The blatantly aggressive communique from Mark Head and Colin Allars about last Friday's costs hearing that some CRC Chiefs have reproduced, presumably as a means of trying to ignite internal strife among Napo members, is patently inaccurate in terms of the potential for an appeal by Napo against the costs decision. It also prompts a question to those now trying to stick in the metaphorical knife: where were you when the chips were down, when our members took industrial action, when they were out there campaigning to alert the public to the recklessness of the TR programme and when our members needed you to speak up about the issues that they have been fighting over for the last 18 months?
 
Nowhere, is the answer.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Blog type: 
General Secretary's Blog