Yes or No to Pay Offer?

Jim. Why don't you whack a note on the top of the page for Pay talks? It's big news.

(Yes it's massive news with 9,500 hits yesterday alone.)

The latest blog post from Ian Lawrence Napo General Secretary (slightly edited):-

WHY WE RECOMMEND THE NPS PAY OFFER – BALLOT OPENS TODAY

At last we are in a position to publicise the pay offer and all NPS members for whom we have a preferred email address should have received a unique code which will allow you to vote in the ballot which launched today.

I don’t intend to rehearse our written commentary on the offer which appears on the website and is as thorough as can be and includes a commetary which is very relevant for our CRC members. We will supplement this where necessary but in respect of pay enquiries could members please firstly read NPS News 122 and look at the helpful Pay ‘ready reckoner’ to show what the offer means to you before contacting Napo. If you still have a query please route these through your Branch where reps have been sent information to try and deal with members questions. If you are still unsure about something please send your query to info@napo.org.uk. We will get back to you, so don’t worry if it’s not an instant reply.

Why vote yes?

We are recommending (what is after nearly a decade of pay restraint) that our NPS members accept the offer. Rather than write reams of narrative given the welter of material out there, why not see for yourself what I said at Conference last week.

Unions to hold pay meetings, be sure to attend the right one!

Unfortunately, I see that some rather unhelpful messages about Union Pay briefing meetings which have been issued in one of the NPS divisions. I am taking this up with NPS senior management to say I am not exactly enamoured, but for the sake of clarity: Napo, UNISON and GMB will be conducting briefing meetings for our respective members at which for Napo’s part, prospective members can attend, join Napo afterwards and vote on the Offer.

Confusion has been caused by messages inviting all staff in some LDUs to UNISON meetings, but our sister unions policy on inviting non-members differs from ours.

At our meetings you will hear why we are standing by our conviction that this offer is the best available in the present economic climate and why we are putting faith in our members to endorse that view.

--oo00oo--

Summary of the Offer

• Pensionable increases to all NPS staff over the two years of the deal (April 2018-March 2020), ranging from 13.6% to a minimum of 6%. In cash terms, all staff will receive between £3772 and £1405.
• Increases to the current band maxima by at least 3%, giving the first consolidated increase for staff at their band maxima for nearly a decade.
• Fully consolidated increases ranging from at least 3% for all staff already at their band maxima, rising to 12.2% for some staff progressing through their pay ranges.
• Progression to the new higher band maxima in less than 6 years in all bands.
• For staff in Band 1, progression to a new 17% higher band maxima in no more than 2 years
• Guarantee further progression payments in 2020-21 for those still not at their band maxima
• Pay progression from 2021 linked to a new Competency Based Pay Progression Framework (CBPPF), which will be designed in partnership with the unions, aligned to National Probation Professional Standards. Napo are insisting these must also cover CRCs.
• A joint-review of management grades from Band 5 upwards, recognising the additional pressures and workloads that implementation of the new CBPPF will bring, as well as the changing nature of the role since TR.
• Some additional elements that more closely align NPS terms with MoJ terms (set out below).

After prolonged negotiations aimed at reforming the probation pay system, a final offer has been made by the HMPPS. If accepted in union member ballots, the offer will be applied for all staff across the NPS. Napo is recommending acceptance of the offer.

Napo are also committed to maintaining Pay Unity across all parts of probation. CRC members are receiving a parallel briefing explaining our approach and arguments for Pay Unity. If NPS support Napo’s recommendation, all probation staff will receive a further briefing explaining how they can support our #PayUnity campaign, a vital part of our argument to reunify local probation services.

--oo00oo--

Seen on Facebook:-

When you get 10 mins to sit and get your head around the pay offer... and realise you've been in service 12 years, qualified for 5. Currently worth £30208 a year.. a grand total of £1170 more than when that hard earned qualification landed in my hands.

While welcoming the news that there is a major restructure of bandings on the way, unfortunately I have still got to wait til 2023 to reach the dizzy heights of the top of pay scale... When the trainee I'm currently mentoring will get there too.

I must say I do not begrudge trainees reaching their maxima within 5-6 years. I wish I had - I'd be there now (and frankly, along with so many others should be a hell of a lot closer to it than I am). But it has prompted me to sit quietly bubbling with rage (again) that we have been so overlooked, so disregarded, so disrespected, and have been expected to do so much for a measly £300 a year increment for so long. It's a wonder any of us stay.

Couldn't agree more...I've been qualified 8 years (in service 13). Currently on £30503: those of us in the middle will have to stay in the middle for a few years more and I'm bubbling with rage as well feeling disregarded, disrespected and overlooked trudging through the brown stuff...I really thought this pay deal would help (& eventually it will even for us!). There's a whole lot of us stuck in the middle and having to wait another 5 years to reach the top of the scale... I am voting for the deal as I can't see an alternative but it's not as good as I thought it would be.

Pretty much exactly my reason for voting for it too. Bloody disgraceful when you actually work out the progression since qualification really. And to think those scales were reviewed in 2014! Appalling.

What gets me is the assessment type thing to happen in 20/21 where it is not an automatic pay award but you have to be assessed as competent or is that just certain grades?

I think it applies to everyone...

As I understand it if Treasury release funds everyone except those at maxima automatically progresses to next paypoint in April 20 as the CBPPF won't start being applied till 21.

I need to go back and reread what Unison haven't said and likewise what they have said ie no recommendation to or against.

I think Unison have not made a recommendation from what I've read on HMPPS site but if I remember right you're a Unison rep so you'll have most accurate info!

Well said. I really don’t understand how this is fair on anyone other than those who are quite new in service. 15 year in, 13 qualified and I won’t be at the top until the same time as you and your trainee, whilst mentoring 3 pquips more or less on my own with £150+ case load.

Surely you're over the hump which means you'd be at max by 2020?!

Hmm maybe, but I’m still £3k off next year so seems unlikely!?!?

I was trying to find the post a few mins ago... somewhere it says that people earning over 32-something cam expect to reach maxima by 2020... just can't remember what the exact figure was.

If you are 13 yrs qualified PO now (ie at £32688) you'd get backdated pay rise to this April to £33344 then April 2019 go to £34342. Then the dox say you should move to max in 2020 of £37174 (though this presumably relies on Treasury). A trainee presumably at earliest qualifies later this year so would be at start rate of £29038 move to £30208 in April 19 and (Treasury funds and competency allowing) get to max by April 2023?

Agree with everything you've said Xxxxxxx...I just hope this pay offer will at some point extend to CRC officers too, especially given that POs are to be seconded to NPS from CRC. I'm not very hopeful it will though! X

Also many officers in CRC with 20+ years in probation. Makes the gap between NPS and CRC even wider when they say they're trying to bring us closer.

I really hope so... it's all so divisive. The whole thing makes me so angry. Hope you're OK chick! X

My thoughts exactly, it's just awful how it's all turned out. Bloody government! I'm OK love, hope you all are too. xx

Yep sadly you’re right. Never seen such division in the same building since this pay offer to one half and not the other.

I share the pain, 16 years qualified and still mid table on the pay scale. But I have come to accept that's how it is. It will never change what has happened. I have decided not to waste too much negative energy on thinking about it.

Reading all these posts with interest and I fully understand everyone’s anger, disappointment etc. However please do not forget your colleagues in CRCs who have the same frustrations, anger, caseloads etc without any hope of a pay rise anytime soon.

Absolutely and I apologise if my post was insensitive to that. The whole situation is appalling, and I sincerely hope that the unions are able to secure a matched deal for all CRCs. My post was poorly worded perhaps; my frustration was a general reflection of how all probation staff and the work we do has been overlooked for so many years.

Pay deal.
So a 2 year deal. Year 1 I get (Cos I am on max)
361 consolidated
722 non consolidated (so one off bung)
300 "Transition payment" (Bung) THEREFORE
I get 361 rolled over to yr 2 and 1022 in one of payments.

Year 2 I get
729 consolidated
364 non consolidated (Bung)
But remember that I LOSE the 1022 bung so that does not roll forward, my pay rise becomes just the 364 non consolidated with a bit of the consolidated.

So over 2 years I get 2476 (as they say) but off that 1386 is in one off payments, so that becomes 1110 in TOTAL.

CONSOLIDATED PAYRISE over 2 years. Unless I get AT least 364 in year 3 I get a pay CUT. So substantially less than the 6.96 they are offering. Because over HALF of this is not in fact a pay rise but is a bung. I have just done a quick calculation and can tell you that this is 3% consolidated over 2 years, or 1.5% a year.

For this I give up automatic pay rises for ever and replace it with an unknown "Competency Framework". A competency framework that does not, as yet, exist. I am asked to trust the government to act as honest brokers in this. Given their behaviour over the last four years I would not trust these guys as far as I could throw a Jumbo Jet.

I also have no guarantee, as a person on the top of the scale that I would get any pay rise in year three. In fact, given the cluster fuck that is Brexit and the probability of a huge UK wide recession caused by hacking ourselves loose from our closest neighbours (good or bad Idea it is going to be hugely disruptive and have negative economic consequences) I more than suspect that there will be an IMMEDIATE pay freeze so I will be looking at a 300 quid pay cut.

ON TOP of a complete pay freeze for 7 years. This also does not address London Weighting or any other regional adjustments. I don't know what I am missing but when you remove the bribes this looks like a TERRIBLE deal to me. Please tell me why I am wrong.

I suppose the question is what are you getting now if you are at the top of your band, as you will not be getting a yearly increment. The competency framework won't affect you, being at the top of the band. In terms of year three we are all in the same position and none of us know if we will be offered a pay rise. People who are not at the top of the band now may have the opportunity to get to the top, rather than it taking over 23 years to get there.…

There is that certainly.

I think if you had been qualified for 17 years (like me) and only half way up the pay scale you might understand why this is a good deal! I should have been at the top of the scale 10 years ago so I’ve lost £50,000 at least not including cost of living! There’s always winners and losers but I think for the thousands languishing in the middle like me it’s an unbelievably good deal.

Has anyone had the opportunity to use the pay calculator which has been issued to give staff an idea of what things will look like under the current offer? I’ve been qualified since 2005 and I’m currently on 32,688 which is quite frankly a joke. The current offer would still suggest I’ll be flogging on for some time before hitting the magic £37k, I’m sure I read somewhere on this page that an officer on £32,056 would be looking at April 2020 for top whack but the projections I’ve got make it look unlikely! Any help appreciated before I reach retirement before my band maximum.

Was looking at it today and was confused as to why we were told it was a 3% payrise when it's actually 2% with a 'top-up', or in some cases a 1% with a 2% 'top-up'. What gets me more, though, is the new banding where NQOs in 2020 will take 5 years to reach top of band (subject to competency of course) but I will be 11 years post-qualification in 2020 and only in the third band from top of range! Nothing makes sense other than the financial pain of paying everyone with more than 5 years post-qualifying experience at that at top of scale would clearly break every budget going. The point is, we should have been there anyway.

Does anyone have a link to the pay calculator, please?

It's on the intranet under 'Corporate' and then Probation pay whatever and a hyperlink in the communique. 

Thank you. I will check it out tomorrow.

--oo00oo--

Unison position on pay offer and introduction of performance related pay

Dear UNISON NPS member,

Have your say on the NPS pay offer

I am writing to tell you about proposals which could make big changes to the way you are paid. These proposals are the result of negotiations between UNISON, the other probation unions and the NPS and now we need to know what you think.

The offer has some major financial benefits for staff, but also some significant risks for pay in the years ahead. That’s why UNISON is putting the offer to you without any recommendation on how you should vote. Instead, we are pointing out the pros and cons of the offer for you to consider before making your decision.

This is a two year pay offer, with a link to a third year which is not yet funded. Year one of the offer covers the current pay year of 2018/19. Year two covers 2019/20 and year three, which is linked to the offer, covers 2020/21. All pay years begin on 1 April. Before we ask you to vote, I wanted to outline UNISON’s assessment of the pros and cons of the pay
offer.

Pros

• Staff would receive individual pay awards of between 6 -14% over two years, plus a one-off payment in year one of £300.
• The number of pay points in each pay band would reduce from an average of 23 to just six.
• The majority of existing staff would move significantly towards the top of their pay band by year two of the offer. These moves would be automatic.
• In year three (2020/21) staff would automatically move further up their pay band to the next highest pay point, as long as NPS gets the necessary Treasury funding (See cons below).
• Subject to a new Competency-Based Pay Progression Framework, staff could expect in future to move to the top of their pay band in no more than five years, as long as NPS gets the necessary Treasury funding. (See cons below)
• All pay bands get a 3% increase in the value of the top pay point over the two years of the offer. The top of pay band 6 gets a 4% increase over the same time.
• Pay bands 1, 2, 3 and 5 all see an increase in their bottom pay point over the two years of the offer.

Cons

• After year three, the offer would remove the entitlement of NPS staff to automatic annual pay progression and replace it with a Competency Based Pay Progression Framework (CBPPF). Under this system pay progression would be conditional on staff competence.
• The terms of the CBPPF are, as yet, unknown.
• If the CBPPF is not agreed between NPS and the unions by 31 March 2020, there are two possible outcomes:

• the pay offer says that NPS can implement the CBPPF without union agreement 
• without a CBPPF in place, staff get no pay progression.

• There is a risk that the NPS fails to secure sufficient funding from the Treasury to pay for automatic pay progression in year three, or for the CBPPF linked pay progression going forward from 2021.
• The NPS Detached Duty Scheme, which is part of the offer, will provide NPS with the ability to “instruct staff to take up a detached duty posting when there are overriding business needs and all avenues have been exhausted”. This covers mainly Band 4 probation officers and Band 5 senior probation officers.
• The offer does not address London, or South East, weighting.

What you should do now

Find out more about the pay offer.
• visit www.unison.org.uk/npspay18
• try to go along to any UNISON pay briefings where you work – contact your branch/rep
• attend the NPS pay briefings and read the NPS information on the offer.

Then tell us what you think. Included with this letter is a ballot paper. Please complete it and send it back in the pre-paid envelope. The ballot closes at 5pm Thursday 8 November, so make sure you allow enough time for your ballot paper to reach us. If the pay offer is accepted by members of all three probation unions, the NPS has confirmed that, for the majority of staff, the pay increase will be in your November pay packet.