Judy McKnight's Napolog

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Web log of Napo's general secretary

June 30, 2008

Last Day, Last Blog

Today is my last day with Napo, so this is my last weblog entry.

I was really pleased that my last major project for Napo was giving the Bill McWilliams Lecture at the Institute of Criminology, Cambridge University, last Wednesday, 25 June.

The title of my lecture was “Speaking up for Probation.”

I attach a copy of the speaking notes that I used for the lecture along with a copy of the PowerPoint I used showing the various organograms we have been subjected to over the past few years.

Speaking Notes for Lecture:

Download file

Herewith also the Powerpoint presentation I made on the various NOMS Organograms we have lived through:

Download file

And is here is Napo's commentary them:

Download file

I will be writing the lecture up as an essay for the 'Howard Journal' where it will be published next year.

It is amazing when we remind ourselves of what the Service has been subjected to, and continues to be subjected to, that it performs better than ever against all objective measures.

That is a major tribute to probation staff.

CAFCASS staff can also be proud of their contribution to a now well established and successful service.

I had a question at last week’s lecture from a TPO asking how they as an individual could speak up for Probation.

My answer was to join and get active in Napo.

My last words –in this blog at least- to all those in the Probation Service and CAFCASS, who care about their professions as well as about decent terms and conditions, is to join and be active in Napo.

I have been privileged to have been Napo’s General Secretary for the past fifteen years. I leave Napo in good hands with Jonathan Ledger replacing me as Napo General Secretary.

I have been a committed trade unionist all my working life because I identify with the values of the trade union movement and also because I am a passionate believer in acting on ones beliefs.

Working people don’t have to sit passively and watch employers and politicians take all the decisions. Sometimes they get it wrong!

In our campaigns as trade unionists, be it on pay and conditions or, be it on professional issues, we may not always win out-right, but we can and often do, make a big difference.

We can only do that by being strong, and that means having as many members, and as many active members, as possible. And then acting collectively.

Napo is not about those who lead Napo from the centre. It is about Napo members.

So keep Napo strong. Ensure you are a Napo member, attend Napo meetings, and contribute to Napo policies.

I will keep an eye on Napo’s website and I will always be rooting for Napo and its members.

Thanks to all of you for a great fifteen years.

Judy

Posted by jmcknight at 01:06 PM | Comments (0)

June 21, 2008

Last Week

Last week was a typical, if depressing week, in terms of the mixed messages coming from Government on criminal justice policy.

Monday saw the leaks of the dreadful Louise Casey’s report , subsequently published on Thursday, recommending tougher, humiliating, and apparently privatised unpaid work projects.

Tuesday saw a report on plans from Ed Balls, the Children’s’ Minister, to ensure that youth justice was about effectiveness rather than being tough for its own sake.

Below is Napo’s press release commenting on the Casey Report, and here is a first class article by Ian Loader, an Oxford Professor of Criminology.

Here is also a first class Guardian editorial on why Casey is wrong.

Harry was rightly vocal for Napo on the failings of the report, but where were our Ministers? Where was a voice for the Probation Service itself?

I am currently preparing for my Bill McWilliams lecture in Cambridge next week, on the theme “Speaking up for Probation”.

Last week’s events were one more example of the lack of a clear official voice speaking up for the Probation Service, and loudly saying that Casey’s report is rubbish.

Last week I was also quoted in the Financial Times on the problems of public sector pay, and the fact that we might need to consider industrial action, possibly jointly with other unions. I am referred to as a “retiring General Secretary”. Read that as you will!

Continue reading "Last Week"

Posted by jmcknight at 11:21 AM | Comments (0)

June 10, 2008

Quite a Day

Yesterday was quite a day for me, and very special.

At 1.00pm I chaired a rally of several hundred trade unionists at the Central Hall Westminster, the TUC Speak up for Public Services Rally, which preceded the lobby in the House of Commons that afternoon.

I was really pleased to introduce Jonathan Ledger, Napo’s new General Secretary, as one of the speakers, in addition to people like Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary, Dave Prentis, Unison General Secretary and Mark Serwotka, PCS General Secretary.

There was a really good turn out of Napo activists at the Rally.

3.00pm I addressed the Justice under Stress Rally which was held in the House of Commons and had an impressive line up of speakers from the Trade Union movement as well as parliamentarians.

Here are the notes that I used for my address.

Download file

Later in the afternoon, 4.00pm, was my farewell do, also in the House of Commons. It was a great event, with so many old friends and colleagues there, from Napo and accross the trade union movement, as well as the world of CAFCASS and Probation. I hope I might be able to put some pictures of the party on this site soon.

I’m still working for Napo until the end of June, but will be concentrating on my Bill McWilliams Memorial Lecture for the next couple of weeks. The theme of my lecture will be “Speaking up for Probation.”

Update:

Some pictures of the two rallies and my farewell do are now below.

The do even got mentioned by Jack Straw in Parliament the next day, when talking about Early Release!

Continue reading "Quite a Day"

Posted by jmcknight at 06:30 PM | Comments (0)

June 02, 2008

Thanks for Voting Yes

Many thanks to Napo probation members for voting so overwhelmingly to support industrial action – and thereby your negotiators - in the indicative ballot over the non-payment of increments.

It would be good to think that this show of strength, with 94% voting "yes" to action, is sufficient to make the Employers reconsider their position.

We shall we see.

Here is a copy of the Action on Pay Bulletin we issued today:

Download file

Here is a copy of the Press Release:

Download file

I see from "Dash24" that Jack Straw is happy to talk to us about pay.

We will take up Jack's offer.

Posted by jmcknight at 07:16 PM | Comments (0)

May 22, 2008

Has Probation been taken over by the Prison Service?

It increasingly feels like it.

Why, for example is the only vaguely current organisational chart for “NOMS” on the Prison Service website, not the NOMS website? Why I can’t find a link to this chart from the MoJ website or the National Probation Service website?

Why have all the forum for consulting trade unions on organisational change been cancelled or postponed?

Will there be a Director of Probation when all Baords become Trusts?

If not, who will speak for Probation?

Why is the Director of Probation no longer responsible for Probation HR?

Why does Probation HR now come under Prisons HR?

Why are ROMS now line managing Chief Officers?

Why are we receiving rumours that Ministers are considering reducing the 42 Probation Areas to 10 or even 1?

We put some of these points/ questions to David Hanson, Prisons and Probation Minister when we met him last night.

He promised we would be consulted before final decisions were made.

We shall keep him to that.

Posted by jmcknight at 11:24 AM | Comments (0)

May 16, 2008

Please Use Your Vote

The indicative ballot on industrial action in support of our dispute with Probation Employers over the non payment of increments from 1 April 2008 closes on 30 May.

It is vital tht we have a large turnout and a large "Yes" vote for action.

Here is the latest Pay Bulletin issued to Branches.

Download file

Posted by jmcknight at 06:26 PM | Comments (0)