ilawrence@napo.org.uk's blog

The media this week has been full of post-election analysis, blame attribution on a grand scale, leadership jostling and much self-introspection by Labour and Trade Union leaders about where and why, and for that matter how, it all went wrong.

Seemingly disastrous setbacks are part and parcel of political and real life but its’ usually the politicos who fare better with the consequences as ordinary people go about their daily routine of work, or trying to find work and supporting their families.

Trying to make sense of the election result amidst the deep disappointment that I can assume most Napo members will be feeling this morning is a tough call. It’s not any easier watching David Cameron crow about a ‘magnificent victory’ which, following a mere 1% increase in the share of his party’s national vote (the same figure as Labour) looks like providing him with a working majority of around six seats; hardly a ringing endorsement of his track record in government or his manifesto promises.

Whatever your political views are, this years general election is the most undecided in a generation and is probably the most significant since 1945; this means that it has never been more important for people to use their democratic right to vote. Make sure you take a few minutes to attend your polling station (open from 7am – 10pm) and have some say in the UK's future government.

Politics, Napo and the Coalition

Last weeks dramatic developments kept us well occupied as we tried to heap the pressure on Sodexo following their shabby handling of their preposterous and downright dangerous job cuts programme. At this week’s Meeting of Napo's National Executive Committee we provided an in depth report of what has transpired, together with a frank analysis of exactly what type of outfit we are dealing with.

Our talks with Sodexo on Monday following their announcement of 600 intended job losses and their disingenuous stance on EVR were not exactly convivial, but we were at least able to reach agreement on the need for them to go back to their Executive and think again. We were subsequently expecting another joint statement to indicate that the contractor had agreed to pause their controversial redundancy programme, but this could not be cleared by their high command in time for further discussion, and as I indicated in my last posting this was announced by CRC Chiefs the following day.

Yesterdays meeting between Sodexo bosses and the probation unions which was diplomatically described in the joint statement that followed as a 'full and frank' discussion, paved the way for an announcement that will be issued formally tomorrow morning by CRC Chiefs. This confirms our expectation that Sodexo have signalled a pause to the job cuts programme pending further considerations and their upcoming meeting with the MoJ contractor. 

Yesterday's NNC meeting followed Thursdays encounter with the MoJ Permanent Secretary and the Probation Consultative Forum where the unions were in fine form in pressing senior people to get a grip of the anger and uncertainty that has followed the announcements of massive job cuts across the Sodexo owned NNC.

Yesterday's NNC meeting followed Thursdays encounter with the MoJ Permanent Secretary and the Probation Consultative Forum where the unions were in fine form in pressing senior people to get a grip of the anger and uncertainty that has followed the announcements of massive job cuts across the Sodexo owned NNC.

A frantic week. One truncated by a bank holiday and some leave which I have been trying to take for ages, during which I did a few radio interviews about the job cut announcements in the Sodexo owned CRC's.

I am posting this straight after an excellent meeting today of Napo Sodexo reps organised by Ranjit Singh, where the scale of the planned reductions, the handling of communications by Sodexo and Napo's response to the situation were given some very serious consideration.

Napo challenge validity of 'Consultation'

Following the discontinuation of the Judicial Review application last December, we wrote to all of the TR contractors pointing out the core elements of our evidence and that which the Secretary of State had offered as proof that he and his officials were on the ball when it came to staffing, workloads and ICT.