Problems in staffing prisons go back many years and include the introduction of a two tier system for pay, terms and conditions known as ‘Fair and Sustainable.’ (FAST). Essentially, you could undergo career progression if you agreed to a new contract of employment which offered lesser terms and conditions.
The old hands quite rightly refused because of the impact upon pensions and as a consequence, were not allowed to apply for permanent promotion, although many were given ‘temporary,’ or ‘acting,’ positions which they kept for years.
What happened next was that young or inexperienced officers, denied pay progression because of austerity, applied for promotion to grades they wouldn’t normally be qualified for, and in the absence of any competition, they got the job.
The problems on the wings became enormous and over time, the longer serving members of staff left or retired. This is a part explanation for the exodus, but of course, as with probation, the problems are multi-fold and the solutions complex.
The most obvious solution in my mind would be, don’t try to screw your staff and introduce change by negotiation, consultation, and listening. Who knows, the idea might rub off on other areas of the CJS.
Fair and sustainable
What happened next was that young or inexperienced officers, denied pay progression because of austerity, applied for promotion to grades they wouldn’t normally be qualified for, and in the absence of any competition, they got the job.
The problems on the wings became enormous and over time, the longer serving members of staff left or retired. This is a part explanation for the exodus, but of course, as with probation, the problems are multi-fold and the solutions complex.
The most obvious solution in my mind would be, don’t try to screw your staff and introduce change by negotiation, consultation, and listening. Who knows, the idea might rub off on other areas of the CJS.
Of course the man in charge was hugely optimistic in 2012:-
Revision to proposals for working structures in HM Prison Service following the consultation with trade unions
Foreword
This document sets out a revised set of plans following consultation with our trades unions, staff associations and our broader engagement with staff. Since we launched Fair and sustainable in November 2011, we have met with hundreds of staff and received feedback and questions from hundreds more. This process of consultation and listening has been essential in helping us identify gaps and issues in our plans which we have sought to address where possible.
The feedback that you and your union representatives have provided collectively has helped us improve our thinking and clarify our plans. As a result we have made a number of amendments that we believe will enhance the ambitions of these plans to be both sustainable for the future and particularly make our plans even fairer for current staff.
These amendments are set out in the beginning of this document but include: the retention of the non-consolidated payments for Staff Personal Development Record (SPDR) performance for eligible staff remaining on current terms and conditions; an acknowledgement of the impact of the changes to local pay allowances, with the provision of a compensation package on promotion within affected sites; and moving the transition timetable to allow DPSMs to complete their Job Similation Assessment Centre (JSAC) before selection to roles takes place.
I hope that you are now clear that the plans for new terms and conditions set out in Fair and sustainable only relate to pay arrangements – that is salary, hours, pay point progression allowances, and payments. Unless you opt-in to the new terms and conditions set out in this document, Fair and sustainable makes no changes to your current pay. Nor does Fair and sustainable impact on any other parts of terms and conditions such as leave entitlement, sickness or pensions.
In an environment of increased competition and diverse market for the provision of offender services these plans remain absolutely vital for the ongoing competitiveness of HM Prison Service. The future presents a clear challenge for the Service, and these plans represent the Service’s intelligent and necessary response.
In an environment of increased competition and diverse market for the provision of offender services these plans remain absolutely vital for the ongoing competitiveness of HM Prison Service. The future presents a clear challenge for the Service, and these plans represent the Service’s intelligent and necessary response.
It is this fact that has driven a very productive relationship with all trades unions to deliver their support for these plans which, for the POA, was validated by a ballot of their members who voted overwhelmingly to endorse Fair and sustainable. In introducing these changes we have been clear that our aim is to avoid compulsary redundancies as far as possible. The transitional measures set out in this document which we have agreed with trade unions, mean that we are now in a good position to do that.
Preparations are now underway to introduce these plans in establishments. New structures will be in place for April 2013, when staff will all be working in their new roles, to new job descriptions which have all been assessed by the new job evaluation system (JES).
To get there we have a clear and structured process to guide all prisons through the transition as smoothly as possible. However, I do not under-estimate the impact that this will have on all of you, and the Service in general. This is not just about structural change but, much more importantly, about moving to a new, and better, way of working. To do this we will need to manage this change in a way that is fair and decent to our staff and protects the spirit, pride and strong delivery that defines HM Prison Service. I am determined that we will achieve this.
Michael Spurr
Chief Executive Officer
It could be argued that spurr took that 2-tier approach because he knew the POA from his prison time & was forced to allow them a get-out clause for cannier staff not prepared to fall for the 'fair & sustainable' scam - regardless of his weasel words:
ReplyDelete"The feedback that you and your union representatives have provided collectively has helped us improve our thinking and clarify our plans. As a result we have made a number of amendments that we believe will enhance the ambitions of these plans to be both sustainable for the future and particularly make our plans even fairer for current staff."
Probation staff were never allowed such a choice, which shows the contempt noms had for both probation staff & napo. Helen Edwards was running noms when the trusts were created, imposing non-negotiable transfers of employment. wheatley, then spurr, were variously in charge when terms & conditions were surrendered by napo in exchange for one of the worst pay deals ever; and spurr famously made napo sign up for the pisspoor tr transfer agreement which stripped probation staff of choice, of future employment & cost hundreds of job losses, leaving only the favoured & privileged collaborators with substantial increase in opportunity & wage packet.