Dire Straits

Jim Brown wrote yesterday in regard to the need for more communication from NAPO in the On Probation Blog:

                           

Battling for Survival is right, and last night I was listening to "Dire Straits" which in my opinion is exactly where Probation is at.

Brothers In Arms

"These mist covered mountains 

Are a home now for me 

But my home is the lowlands 

And always will be"

Today I was struck by the following two comments from On Probation Blog from, "Brother's [and sisters] In Arms", as it were, which I salute, but we all know that the tireless work of union representatives, and excellent messages that come from the Jim Brown's, Joe Kuipers, Pat Watermans, Andrew Hattons, etc etc etc, are not enough in themselves, we need words and plans from the Commander-In--Chief to get members mobilised on their vote for action.

NAPO continues to work hard in an environment that changes by the week at the direction of Grayling. Union IS a democracy Government in power is not ( this one is despotic) . By the time any new ( ridiculous) proposal has been thumped down from on high then discussed with membership, it is too late because it was then withdrawn or changed. Blame Grayling and his deliberate manipulation of a loyal workforce and their good nature. The one reasonable criticism is that a NAPO official with no experience in media was appointed to such a vital role at this critical time. This was a significant error. But, where we are is that no union is this country with the current legislation could have defeated this. Not every employee is unionised, not every union member realised the threat this was from the outset and responded, not every union member could be bothered to do something and yes a lot of people left it all the the local branch officials and Chivalry Road. You could argue that this was because we are all so busy when we are at work with the mess that is Delius and trying to fit some time with our clients around this crap IT system, that saturation point was reached. Then there is the poor support from Unison, decisive strike action would have been so powerful but well, it is too late now. Save your anger for Grayling and this government, the lib dems could have saved public probation but they chose not do. Funny how any sense of social justice flees in the face of power at any cost, isn't it? So, who is to blame? GRAYLING, weak and collusive probation senior leadership in every Trust and every single one of us who did not do all they could to oppose this. IT IS NOT TOO LATE ! It is all to play for because now THEY NEED US and WE WILL NOT DELIVER. The power is now in our hands and THIS WILL NOT WORK. Turn on the union? No JOIN the UNION.

Grayling has a bigger project - it is about creating a smaller state and there is a coterie in or close to the heart of Government driving this through. Grayling is one of the architects, as is Gove and I think they are also building on the work of some in the last Labour Government like Lord Reid, now at G4S.

My MP, Priti Patel is working from the backbenches. They seem to be driving through their reform agenda as ruthlessly as folk like Aneurin Bevan drove the Labour nationalizing reforms did in the 1945 Government but not as openly. They realise that this maybe their only chance before the 2015 general election and they have found some dupes like Lord McNally to help them. I am not sure about Cameron and Clegg but we seem stuck with it now.

However, it is not too late to save localized unified probation service(s) but an absolute refusal to collude is vital. I personally would not work in any way for either a CRC or NPS & would do an alternative lowly paid job if that was the only alternative. However, I am retired and so not so challenged as others are. I remember with shame that I colluded with the dreaded 1991 CJA rather than leave probation again - I had tried (for a few months) a locum Social Services job and it did not give me the autonomy that being a probation officer then did and the support staff were very limited and weak, unlike in probation.

Napo's HQ is stretched and weakened as a consequence of the energy & money needed to clear up the disasters that came because there was not enough membership control of what was going on centrally. It seems that many fail to understand that Napo is US not THEM - I guess they grew up in the age of consumerism, rather than having a sense of shared responsibility for ALL that happens in the public sphere of life in the UK! We need to remember that we have never had a fully functioning democracy that takes its authority from the collective voice of all people - we are subjects - maybe not exactly of the sovereign but of the government(s) our UK system throws up. I envy those in Northern Ireland, Scotland and even Wales who have more autonomy, but equally more individual responsibility for their governance, both locally and nationally, than us in England.

Localised unified probation will only be saved by focused opposition; otherwise the best we can hope for is a chance to reinstate it after TR crashes - as it will. Those who think they know best seem to be ignorant of the way criminal justice and particularly the courts and prisons actually work. Though, it maybe that we risk the courts losing their independence; maybe the celebrations around the anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta in 2015 will bolster the importance of judicial independence?

The Man's Too Strong

"And I can still hear his laughter 

And I can still hear his song 

The man's too big 

The man's too strong"

While listening to this song I thought about a soldier who was just trying to get along, and now he's been overwhelmed by the enemy and as he sits he is in effect writing his final memoirs. 

And again, without clear guidance from NAPO and a Plan of action the "Man Is Too Strong"