Saturday 23 August 2014

The Membership Speaks

So, what are we to make of the Napo election results released yesterday? 
For the position of Chair the following were elected: Yvonne Pattison (North Yorkshire/East Coast) / Chris Winters (Humberside/East Coast), job share. For the positions of Vice-Chair the following were elected: Katie Lomas (West Yorkshire) and Dave Adams (Warwickshire). 
Yvonne/Chris and Katie and Dave have been elected for a two year term which runs from Napo AGM in October 2014 to AGM October 2016. 
The election of Yvonne as Co-Chair creates an additional Vice-Chair position for the remainder of the term for this post from Napo AGM in October 2014 to AGM October 2015. The Officers will be considering the position and making a recommendation to the September NEC meeting.
Change of subject.............the results are out for the recent NAPO elections inc for the important post of Chair.........15% turnout.......yes just 15%.....on these figures does it matter who was elected?......the vast majority of members are not interested........will anyone at the top table take any notice of this?........NAPO is slowly dying & yes I did vote despite previously advocating a spoilt ballot papers campaign ....

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I also voted but this was against a backdrop of me giving continued thought to cancelling my membership. If the new people do not make the changes needed then I fear it will have been for nothing.

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It's hardly surprising that 85% didn't vote. It's only too clear that members views count for nothing in NAPO, and the sorry parade of new labour style 'on message' candidates for these toothless positions plainly offered no hope of anything more positive. We still don't know what led to 'Assistant Chief Executive' Rendon's Hissy fit - his abusive message to members aside - or what lies behind the long rumoured 'disfunction' at the top, let alone what kind of strategy might possibly be informing the present inaction at 'the top'. I guess it's all a matter for professional bureaucrats and their executive pals on the boss's side of the table, and not for the likes of us. As Rendon said, it's not really any of our business - its just our livelihoods, lives and futures at stake while these clowns take our money and do less than fuck all, that's all.

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I agree. Napo as an organisation is crumbling, the grassroots are dying. Napo looks more Ponzi scheme than trade union.

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I also voted. Also considering cancelling membership if there is no change of approach (and yes I have been involved and I have done things locally and I'm not expecting things to be done for me and I have made my own case with my employer despite not because of Napo but if there is no support for members in fighting TR on a level where members feel supported in their fight then I will leave). 

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15℅ in our 'member - led' union. This is evidence of deep apathy. The fight against TR is a minority interest, but no less important for that, it's just that if you cannot win the hearts and minds of your friends, what hope have you of winning over others?

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I voted but am staggered at such a low turn out. I suppose that Chris Grayling will be on that like a shot :-/

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Bigger turnout than the election for a PCC. PS I voted too! As did my PO wife. Apathy, maybe. More likely ambivalence. Most members don't know the personalities they were asked to vote for so left the decision to those of us who have a firm view.

I'm led to believe that a 15% turnout is the lowest ever, but what organisation in its right mind holds elections in August anyway? One wonders what the figure would have been had there not been a bit of a debate on this blog? What is clear is that those elected can hardly claim a strong mandate for doing much at all, which I suspect will be a source of some relief to the General Secretary and Chris Grayling.

Anyway, it's probably all a bit academic because I'm also told that the key decision not to initiate Judicial Review has been taken by the existing line-up of officers and, despite how it might eventually be spun to members, the reason is purely financial. As prudent custodians and employers, the organisation has to maintain reserves in order to pay-off the staff in the event of a winding-up. 

With the newly-elected officers not due to take up post until the AGM, I wonder how long the radio silence from Napo HQ will be maintained under the interim Chair? I guess there's a bit more mileage yet in this blog trying to fill the vacuum that seems to be so effectively in place at the top. The fight against TR will continue here, but I wonder if it will at Napo HQ? This is what Harry Fletcher says on his blog:-
Can the crash be stopped? In the absence of a coordinated campaign within parliament and the press involving unions, managers and the Institute and with sound public support it seems unlikely. Most Parliamentarians seem unaware of events. There are excellent exceptions like Shadiq Khan and Lord Ramsbotham. Others like the LibDems, know the score but will not intervene. There are 3 months left to stop the rot. Officials and senior civil servants must be aware that the timescale is not deliverable and the next Government will be left to pick up the pieces and say so to politicians. But will they? And can they be made to do so? Those are the key questions.

30 comments:

  1. Can I ask, how representation of Napo membership is this blog? And whilst I did vote, I did not vote for any of the successful candidates.

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    1. dont know, but its not a NAPO blog and doesnt claim to be. It is a terrific forum for communication and discussion, and of particular value in this respect given the sorry lack communicaitons from NAPO. I didnt vote for them either, but I am not so disappointed by the result as I am by the turnout

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  2. Ian Lawrence tweeted yesterday that TR was 'on the wire'. I do not know what that means but suspect nerves are showing. Maybe the bids really are as bad as we thought?

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    1. I hope he is right as I am on my knees with this TR shit. Had a horrible week, it still doesn't seem to get better or settle, everyone's stressed out beyond words. Someone needs to start saying things like we've tried it and its not working, instead of the drivel they keep spouting that its all going smoothly nonsense, because its not. It didn't need fixing before TR but it does now.

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  3. Napo - 'crisis, what crisis?' they are just as bad a as Grayling - if any of them had a plan to unite and really fight TR - they would have been all over the membership - and this blog, any blog in the lead up to the elections, in order to get the message out,alas not. It is a sad day, but TR will fail; however, it will be due to 'incompetence' as opposed to any insistence that the Government be held to account to the Tax Payer for their personal ideological games.

    Just in case anyone is interested, the systems are still fucked, staff at rock bottom in terms of energy and morale, and clients floundering all over the place, as they don't understand what is going on, and we are not in a position to help them understand. It is indefensible to treat a workforce and the public in such a dismissive and disrespectful way, but hey, everything is fine in Graylingland!

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    1. Sound sentiments 30 years in. I wish the successful candidates well of course as they continue in the current situation they have the authority now so I am sure they will be as confident in whatever direction they can now determine is the best route along with the new officers as they get into position. The best to them also.

      Whatever the views it is always going to right outcome for someone.If TR sinks TR as you say we may not all be able to sigh relief just yet. They will already be looking to prop up the failing commitment to a legitimate and clear competitive process. In some areas no bidders !

      How do we think it will collapse if we are not all there pushing the situation (aggressively as a workforce union) to the brink and doing just our job descriptions to the letter. Trying to ensure we don't help TR survive and support the membership confidence to do just that. Challenging any ad- hoc weekly reformed proposals in light of their need to constantly adjust for circumstance. The more it gets meddled with the more muddled its become. The operational changes are almost daily they are constantly unpick the original plans to re- work it to something similar that we used to do anyway. All to ensure we are sold of for tuppence . What may be fosale is what we were doing pre June !

      Anyway good luck to the new chairs lets hope your right 30 Yi.

      Dino

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    2. Thank god you and your drivel didn't get elected

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    3. I voted for you Dino.

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  4. Just an observation ( a thought realy), but if you deduct the number of NAPO reps that turned out from the total 15% turn out, then it strikes me that the number of just ordinary sub paying members that turned out would be actually miniscule?
    Is that a vote of confidence from the membership?

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  5. To anon 09:58 ??? What do you mean by Napo reps and how would anyone be able to calculate how many voted??! The 15% is gloomy enough without trying to think of ways of reducing percentage further!

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  6. Its devastating for me that, with the impact of TR tearing my profession to shreds, so few in probation service roles seem to give a shit. In our CRC there's one napo member (me). Everyone else seems determined to "make it happen". My lone voice is treated as unwanted; I'm regarded as "miserable" or "negative" or "destructive". Most are relatively new to the probation world, so haven't experienced anything other than Trust-life onwards. Many don't believe in social work approaches and are happy to freely use 'control' tactics (breach & recall) to effectively bully their caseload. And that seems to fit with the CRC number-crunching ideology. Whoa There!! Before the cry goes up there IS a place for breach and recall, but I don't think it should be used so liberally. Its lazy probation and often an easy option when work with difficult cases becomes challenging. I could very easily set any of my caseload up to fail, then breach them - but that amounts to abuse in my book.

    Now I hear that only 15% of napo membership bothered to vote at such a critical time. Grayling must be pissing himself laughing. I also read that napo are allegedly hoarding their booty to cover paying off staff, rather than using it to fight for members' futures, e.g judicial review or similar. Sounds a bit like "we know we've lost". Again, Grayling will be practising his moves for when he dances on probation's grave.

    What a total fuck up. This coalition govt has shafted the UK like no other. Everything has been underpriced, tagged and sold to preferred bidders. The whole of the UK administration is in the hands of overseas companies. It might be referred to as UK plc, but its owned by a combination of French, Russian, Chinese, German, American and Middle East billionaires - all of whom have bought off our elected representatives with promises of riches.

    Medication time...

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    1. 'I also read that napo are allegedly hoarding their booty to cover paying off staff, rather than using it to fight for members' futures, e.g judicial review or similar'

      No - not 'their' booty, OUR booty. NAPO is holding on to OUR booty. Our supposed leaders area refusing to spend OUR money to fight for OUR jobs, and are instead holding it back as though it were theirs in order to finance their priorities - which it would appear do not include us and our jobs. NAPO as a business, it would seem, is interest solely in NAPO as a business - working on behalf of the members is not on the agenda. Our role is solely to supply the cash.

      Simon Garden

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    2. If the majority in Anon 11:16's CRC are supportive of TR then presumably morale is good and far from depressed. As for IL's 'on the wire', why can't we just have some plain English assessment instead of enigmas that say nothing really.

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    3. and why post a tweet and then fail to respond to people who ask for clarification of it? Plain rude!!

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    4. Whilst it may seem people are willing to make it happen, I think its because they are all too exhausted trying to fight it, there's demands from all over the place either you get on with your work or else they quickly get rid, that's the fear people are under. I don't agree that anyone could agree with TR, apart from a few managers who want to make a name for themselves. Nothing stands to reason to reason in TR. And like you I am described as being negative well I don't care I am allowed an opinion as they are.

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  7. At this stage NAPOs leaders, Lawrence and all the other professional bureaucrats, are about as much of a friend to us as are Chris Grayling and his pals at the Ministry of Justice. The inaction from our union 'leaders' is nothing other than complicity in the introduction and maintenance of these devastating changes. There have been valiant efforts to make a stand by a small number of local union reps, for sure, but they have quite plainly been left high and dry by a Union hierarchy not interested in a real fight. Look around at the impossible conditions of your workplace, at the chaos and confusion, and the distress and despair of your colleagues. For reasons known only to themselves Ian Lawrence and those around him are allowing this to happen. A campaign that consists solely of campaign bulletins claiming that the campaign continues is not a campaign - as well they know.

    Simon Garden

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  8. I fail to see what a 100% turn out would have achieved?
    Would it have made any difference to NAPOs approach to the TR struggle?

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  9. Has anyone read IL's blog ? Comments above re JR review not going ahead and money being stashed to pay off staff was a comment made on here a few weeks back and was of the "I have heard" variety. This is being repeated again...someone says something on this blog and even though it is only an opinion and the majority of the time unsubstantiated and some on here take it as gospel!!!

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    1. You have obviously read the blog. Can you therefore explain what's happening with TR? I agree that posters should seek to substantiate, but sometimes truth first emerges as rumour and if there is sometimes a vaccum that nature fills, then maybe Napo should be keeping members up to date. It was IL after all who first raised JR at the last AGM and twelve months on we ain't much wiser about its viability. It is all painfully slow and so no wonder there are speculations about why.

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    2. I'm afraid I can't do better than 'I've heard' but my sources are good, the information is mostly correct and for whatever reason, Napo HQ does not want to tell members what's going on.

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    3. Really JB? Then its down to us to descend on AGM en masse, hold them to account and DEMAND that they proceed to JR...

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    4. Of course that's a possibility - to be frank the problem is one of trust I think. It's quite possible that the decision not to proceed with JR will be spun to members as 'the lawyers say the case is not strong'. We all know that you go to another lawyer, they might say something different. What was needed was real leadership at the top of Napo, committed and able to give clear instruction to the General Secretary. This has been absent for ages and, given the election results, in my opinion there's absolutely no chance of it happening now.

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  10. Replies
    1. The Napo vote is a vote for Grayling. Well done 555 errors.

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  11. I expect the one thing that won't help us defeat TR is turn on eachother and out Union. I wouldn't be surprised on Grayling himself posts on this site to stir up hatred again the Union. And everyone falls for it!

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    1. The only people stirring up hatred against the union are the fucking union leadership. Turn on the Union? They're working with the bosses to fuck us over. They have turned on US!

      Simon Garden

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  12. I still
    Say that we needed Dino at the top
    Jn

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  13. NAPO did too little too late. I work with young people who think that the modern workplace is a case of - you sell yourself to the highest bidder. That's it. They laughed when NAPO and/or UNISON went on strike. I too went on strike (I'm in the GMB) but my younger colleagues seem to think that 'terms and conditions' are an anachronism and have no concept that there is such a thing as a workforce -only individuals. I fear that we will have to revert to feudalism before the children of Thatcher cotton on to the reality that there really is a 'them and us'.

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  14. Can someone please post the full election results to add a little more context. I want to know how close the runners up fared.

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  15. 22nd August 2014
    NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PROBATION OFFICERS
    ELECTION OF OFFICERS 2014
    Our report of voting for the above elections which closed today at noon is as follows:
    Number of eligible voters: 7507
    Total number of votes cast: 1125
    Turnout: 15%
    Chair
    Number of votes found to be invalid: 34
    Total number of valid votes to be counted: 1091
    Result (1 to elect)
    PATTISON, Yvonne/WINTERS, Chris...555 Elected
    PEROS, Dino .................................. 363
    BOURGET, Robbie .......................... 173
    Vice Chair
    Number of votes found to be invalid: 45
    Total number of valid votes to be counted: 1080
    Result (2 to elect)
    LOMAS, Katie....... 714 Elected
    ADAMS, Dave ...... 416 * Elected
    BERRY, Chas ...... 415 *

    *votes confirmed by recount.

    NEC Black Reps
    Number of votes found to be invalid: 96
    Total number of valid votes to be counted: 1029
    Result (2 to elect)
    BHOGAL, Ikki........................ 552 Elected
    VERNON, Maureen ............... 533 Elected
    OGWANG-AGUMA, Richard .. 400

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