News Updates
On Wednesday 11 June, Napo members stood united in Manchester for a rally that demanded change.
Hosted by the Cheshire and Greater Manchester Branch in collaboration with Unison and GMB Scoop, the rally was part of the growing Operation Protect campaign — a joint union initiative fighting back against unmanageable workloads, staff shortages and a service pushed beyond breaking point.
Napo National Chair Ben Cockburn, Vice-Chair Tony Perkins, and Unison’s Ben Priestley were among the speakers addressing a passionate crowd determined to defend a profession under siege.
Operation Protect is the unions’ united response to a system in crisis. It’s a fightback and our demands are simple:
For years, probation staff have shown loyalty, resilience and professionalism through austerity, through lockdowns, through unification. But instead of support, they’ve been met with crisis management and a punitive approach.
Years of underfunding and staff cuts across the public sector have left probation staff overwhelmed, undervalued and under-resourced. The result being unmanageable caseloads, rising sickness absence (especially related to mental health), and an attrition crisis.
And now, the worsening prison overcrowding crisis is fuelling even greater pressure. HMPPS responses — such as early release schemes — continue to offload the burden onto probation workers both in custody and in the community.
National Vice-Chair, Tony Perkins, said: “Today, Napo members across the country, like those in Manchester, struggle on a daily basis to navigate the challenges they face with inadequate numbers of staff and unmanageable workloads.”
In Manchester, Salford and Bury, Napo reps are taking this issue head on. With backing from national link officers, local disputes have been launched where employers have failed to act.
The rally in Manchester was a show of strength, but more than that, it was a call to arms. Tony said: “The Joint union initiative that is Operation Protect is our voice against these unfair and unreasonable expectations and I’d encourage all members to make their voice heard and get fully behind Operation Protect.”
Tony continued his powerful contribution :“It was great to hear from the speakers at the Operation Protect rally as well as see so many members from our branch attend. It’s especially important now with new rules potentially coming in about fixed term recalls that members voice their concerns and get behind the goals of Operation Protect.
“Those responsible for the new changes need to realise that our members have been overworked, underpaid and undervalued for too long. We are not the saviour of a crumbling Justice system — and by making us so, they are preventing us from doing what we do best: supporting long-lasting change for people on probation and helping to protect the wider community.”
Operation Protect will not stop until the employer takes real, measurable action:
Increase staffing
End extreme workloads
Provide proper training and tools
Respect and invest in the workforce that protects the public every day
We’re not asking for favours. We’re demanding fairness.
One Response
Delighted you are taking a stand. The justice system needs the probation service and the gov has to accept that they have to act now before the service breaks down . I was a probation officer many years ago and punitive workloads prevented me from doing the job I was trained to do. Keep fighting and well done