Ian Lawrence's Blog

I have almost forgotten the number of times over the years that I have heard politicians dismiss huge public demonstrations against their policies as being ‘unrepresentative’. The TUC rally against Austerity and The Trade Union Bill last Sunday...Read more

09th Oct 2015
Some good news for once in that Sir Martin Narey has completed his review of Probation Qualifications and that he and the Secretary of State have approved the original proposals for Community Justice Learning apparently without any amendments...Read more
06th Oct 2015

STEP INTO MY OFFICE? – IT’S THE BLUE FORD AT BAY 6!

The post-TR shambles manifests itself in increasingly incredulous ways and now we are investigating reports that the relocation of established office premises is adding even worse...Read more

02nd Oct 2015

Another full on five days doing what our members expect us to do, has seen the Officers, Officials and myself engaging with NOMS senior management on the harmonisation of policies, a meeting of the NEC, a meeting of the National Negotiating...Read more

25th Sep 2015

Is a long time; or so the adage goes, but how quick are the cynics to stab their own in the back just days after Jeremy Corbyn is elected by a resounding majority of his party's members?

Whether or not he is around in five years to...Read more
18th Sep 2015

Typically, the media today seemed more concerned about Jeremy Corbyn choosing to not sing the national anthem at the Battle of Britain memorial service than what he said in his speech to Congress yesterday.

It speaks volumes in terms...Read more
16th Sep 2015
Greetings from a wet and windswept Brighton as Congress awaited the afternoon address by newly elected Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. 
 
This mornings debate on the Governments Trade Union Bill was the most...Read more
15th Sep 2015

News came through this week on the progress of the OM review. In a letter to the Trade Unions NOMS Chief Executive Michael Spurr outlined five key principles which underpin his aim to achieve improvements to the current system.

In the...Read more

11th Sep 2015

I read the blog posting from Cafcass Chief Anthony Douglas the other day  http://www.cafcass.gov.uk/...Read more

04th Sep 2015

As we reported to yesterday’s meeting of Sodexo Representatives, we have experienced yet another fruitless week at the coalface in which we held nearly two full days of talks with senior Sodexo management about the voluntary redundancy scheme...Read more

28th Aug 2015

Pages