Latest From Napo 100

The latest blog by Napo General Secretary:-

NNC agrees to some breathing space on E3 Job Evaluation outcomes

Yesterday’s meeting of the National Negotiating Council saw a full and frank but highly productive discussion between the employers and ourselves over the job evaluation (JE) results that were published last week.

In advance of this I had sent the attached correspondence to Colin Allars (LINK) where I made Napo's position clear that the results of the JE for AP Managers and Area Managers, AP Residential Workers and Victim Liaison Officers were unacceptable.

That much has also been made very clear by our members across all of the grades concerned, with VLO's top of the league in that respect; and this week we have been working very hard to analyse the helpful feedback from our members (and a number of non-members who will benefit from our representations) to try and explain the context of the JE programme as part of the wider E3 operational strategy: see the Briefing that we issued on this Link to the circular that Katie and I did.

But what yesterday's meeting also revealed is that NOMS themselves have serious issues over the outturn of the AP Area Manager and AP Manager roles and intend to appeal this.

Given the furore over the conflicting advice that was being given by NOMS earlier in the week (albeit in good faith) which was nevertheless contrary to our understanding of the existing mechanisms, we asked that some breathing space be agreed between the parties to the National Job Evaluation Agreement to avoid hundreds of individual appeals from already hard pressed and seriously unsettled staff.

I am pleased to say that the NNC Joint Secretaries have just signed off the following statement which the unions agreed this morning which demonstrates that while we and NOMS still have fundamental differences over the JE outcomes and the reasons for them, we have at least been able to do the right thing by agreeing to a sensible period of reflection where we hope that we can reach an accommodation on a moderation process.

NNC JS Circular No2

Pay latest

This week we issued as comprehensive a briefing on pay as we are able to at the moment (LINK). It mentions the expected payment of the outstanding entitlement to contractual progression and I can confirm that this will be appearing in March salaries.

Since then we have received early feedback from members (generally those at their pay maximum) pointing out the harsh fact that the absence so far of any negotiations presents them with the possibility of a further pay cut.

Be assured that Napo is cognisant of this disgraceful situation, Government policy of course, and that's why we again made strong representations at the NNC to the effect that we have now seen the results of the Prison Service Pay Review Body which recommends a non-consolidated pay increase for staff in the same situation in the HMP Estate and that well, we want the same please, along with anything else that might be available.

We have asked for urgent talks to try and resolve the outstanding claim for 2015-16 but also a programme for longer term reform of the shambolic pay system and you can see our initial thoughts about this in the above briefing. More to follow as soon as possible.

Some clarity around trainee placements

Following a number of enquiries from concerned members who have just qualified, about their expressions of interest for local vacancies having been inexplicably turned down, I raised the issue directly with Colin Allars.

Here is his reply.

This provides helpful clarification and I am grateful to Colin for his swift response but it may not cover every individual situation, so if you are a new qualifier and are running into difficulties about your posting please contact your Napo rep straight away.

Lots more to follow next week but all of the above again shows the value of belonging to Napo in these difficult times.