There has been a long and unacceptable delay between the end of the formal 2025 pay claim negotiations and a meeting with the then Lord Chancellor in June.
This is despite the unions being told at that meeting, that we could expect a high-level response from Ministers within days which would have allowed meaningful pay talks to be resumed.
Further attempts to revive pay talks
Some three months later we have at last received a formal response to a Pay claim that was submitted in January. Aside from the fact that this in itself is highly disrespectful, it is also hugely disappointing to see that the response still fails to make a pay offer that might form the basis of further negotiations.
Despite this, the unions will be responding to a number of issues that appear in the employers letter, and at the same time we will also be writing to the new Lord Chancellor David Lammy to ask for an urgent meeting with him.
Ballot preparations still being made
As has been previously made clear to members, even though our ballot for industrial action in the summer did not on this occasion provide the threshold we needed to launch action, there is a clear mandate from the Napo Probation Negotiating Committee and your National Executive Committee, that Napo will ballot members again once a pay offer is received.
Obviously, the delay in receiving an offer creates uncertainty as to when another ballot will be held. The position of UNISON and GMB will also become clearer once a pay offer for 2025 actually arrives.
Meanwhile, General Secretary Ian Lawrence, National Chair Ben Cockburn and your Link National Officials and Officers will be pleased to speak at upcoming Branch or Branch Executive meetings to help maintain momentum for the pay campaign and Napo will issue more news just as soon as it becomes available.
19 responses
If Ballot papers are issued can you guarantee that they will arrive in time on this occasion to allow a vote to be registered.
This is so disappointing to see that it did not arrive in time 🙁
Is ‘postal ballot’ the only way a vote can be registered? I’m sure there would be a higher turnout if there was an e-vote option – e.g Microsoft Forms. Thanks
The demands on staff at the moment is colossal. Stress levels are high. Its exceptionally difficult to secure an AP bed space, CAS3, and local authorities are at breaking point for housing.
The state of the Probation Service at the moment is not acceptable, and we are pending implosion.
I feel like the government are just kicking a can down the road.
They need to show their true commitment to their staff, and show us our value in paying us proportionately for what we do. A starting PSO wage is barely above minimum wage. A newly Trained PO a tad over £35k a year.
The pay is disproportionate, and we are a Cinderella service.
Colleagues work tirelessly day in, day out, against all odds. We should be proud of ourselves 🙂
It got to a point where staff really should not be going above and beyond to maintain a failing service . Working no more or less contracted hours is better for staff mental health and sends the service a message that the huge gaps in service provision will not be filled by goodwill .. which is a thankless effort in any case .
The whole Probation Service delivery model needs to be restructured from top down ensuring cases are effectively managed and true rehabilitation can proceed . Only this will stop the endless cycle of recruitment and retention crisis .
“it is also hugely disappointing to see that the response still fails to make a pay offer that might form the basis of further negotiations”
Does this mean they made a desultory offer, or nothing at all?
I am a PSO at the top of my band in the north west. Our particular office is extremely short staffed due to a multitude of reasons. I have 70 cases in my name and still expected to meet the same high standards. I am almost at breaking point and feel undervalued by the service and government. The fact they have not yet offered a pay deal is a disgrace, given we are now 6 months beyond April 2025. If they continue treating use with contempt I am willing to strike and hope colleagues join us in that, however I am not holding my breathe given the disappointing balot return last time.
I did not get my postal vote through. Someone rang me 10 days before the last possible post day and said they’d resend. I got it 2 days before the ballot deadline.
When you look at comparable roles in social services their bands starting rates are on 2-3k more than us yet they are all striking!
What’s the offer then?
I think they offered 4% and it got rejected because unions asked for 12%
Just to clarify that no formal offer has been received from the Employer, so nothing has been rejected by Napo. Please listen to our latest podcast episode that explains everything that has happened so far: Podcast: No Offer, No Respect, Napo Fights Back
I think the length of this wait is absolutely disgraceful. Every other front line public sector service has had a pay rise except Probation. I cannot understand how this is even allowed to continue this long. I am appalled by the whole thing to be honest.
Is there any update yet! This is a tactical approach by the employer and government undoubtedly… just before Christmas they’ll offer a crap deal (like the 3 year one) and everyone will accept – like Oliver Twist… as they’ll think the ‘back pay’ must be worthwhile! Well I can tell you now it won’t be! We need to go on strike… more staff are leaving. Flat rate Police officers are on more than band 5 SPO’s at the top of their band! Their pay, like other sectors, have overtaken our pay immensely! We are like the poor relatives… I’m sick of it… I want to be able to afford more than my rent, bills and food… it’d be nice to have a holiday one day! Can’t afford one on this pay.
If we don’t take action they’ll keep treating us like the push overs we have become!
I think it is absolutely wrong of the government to have not made an offer on pay. With the cost of living crisis I know of people on benefits that have more disposable income than I do working full time as a PSO at the top of my pay grade! I would like to have savings but can rarely afford to save.
I’m sick of receiving “thanks” from the government, don’t thank us, pay us!! It’s disgraceful that there hasn’t even been a pay offer, they know they’ve piled more and more work on us this year and before but they don’t care. They just want more and more work for pay that buys you less and less.
We were also told there would be a review of the awful incident that happened by the end of August and it’s now the end of October and nothing… no changes, no outcome. They have swept it under the carpet and expect us to forget it ever happened.
I’m on the PQiP programme, having been a PSO before and I don’t even want to finish it. I need to leave before I end up completely destroyed.
Staff keep martyring themselves to meet increasingly arduous, unrealistic targets. No vote for strike. Working beyond contracted hours. Criticising privately employees who rightfully take sick leave due to immense stress. This has been going on for over a decade.
The stress is significantly again increasing. Staff off sick and other staff being asked to pick up extraordinary amount of additional work and no one anywhere mentions the fact that we have been totally ignored in terms of a pay rise 2025. The level of sickness, stress and anxiety is phenomenal and without recognition and support it ends up with a “submit a fit note” culture.
have we had any updates yet because this is getting beyond a joke now.
Well we all are entitled to claim a free MOJ gift…….. socks, chocolate, coffee – how utterly insulting. I have been employed for over 30years and remain only as now “pension trapped” with my eye on the door. I see staff leave in droves… I see other staff on their knees. I used to be proud to work for the probation service, now I tell people I work at Tesco (earn barely less than I do). We have been treated with utter contempt, there is no value and yet we are still expected to meet targets, be measured with audits and perform at our utmost to protect the public – really?