Napo General Secretary Ian Lawrence and National Chair Katie Lomas, were among a union delegation who met with the new Justice Minister Alex Chalk yesterday.
Headline issues included the joint unions pay claim covering the years 2021-2023, the Probation reform programme, current disputes including the Approved Premises Residential Worker back pay claim, ViSOR vetting, unrealistic workloads and staffing shortages, and the need for future investment in the reunified Probation service. The meeting was especially timely following today’s publication of the Justice Committee’s report into the future of the Probation Service. Read Napo’s press release here, and the full JSC report here. Questions about the report can be directed to: tbassett@napo.org.uk
It is unclear how long Mr Chalk will be in post, as the most recent incumbent Lucy Frazer, is covering for a colleague on Maternity leave, but it was encouraging to see that the Minister was very supportive of the forthcoming reunification of the service on 26th June. The Minister also paid tribute to the work of probation staff in the CRCs and NPS during the Covid crisis, and acknowledged the added value that trade unions have brought to the table on issues such as health and safety and operational planning.
Contact: klomas@napo.org.uk and ilawrence@napo.org.uk