UNISON’s probation members working for the National Probation Service and the 21 outsourced Community Rehabilitation Companies in England and Wales have voted yes to industrial action over the zero per cent pay offer for 2014.
The result of the ballot is at follows:
Are you prepared to take part in a strike?
- Yes: 73 per cent
- No: 27 per cent
Are you prepared to take part in action short of strike action?
- Yes: 88 per cent
- No: 12 per cent
UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “The employers have failed to offer a decent pay deal for staff for the last four years. The economy is recovering and this should be reflected in pay packets.
“The probation employers’ zero per cent pay offer is an insult to hard working probation staff who have been put through the misery of the government’s misguided probation reforms.
“There is still time for more negotiations and for the employers to come up with a real pay offer.”
UNISON balloted its members because of the employers’ failure to improve their zero per cent pay offer to probation staff for 2014.
Earlier this year, 96 per cent of UNISON members who took part in an internal consultation over the 2014 imposed pay freeze voted to reject it.
Notes to editors
UNISON represents 4,300 probation workers in England and Wales.
Details of the 2014 probation staff pay offer:
Zero per cent pay increase
A one-off/non-pensionable cash payment for staff at the top of their pay scale, as follows:
Pay Band 1 £300
Pay Band 2 £300
Pay Band 3 £300
Pay Band 4 £330
Pay Band 5 £345
Pay Band 6 £385
All staff received their contractual entitlement to one increment on their salary scale.
About 20 per cent of the probation workforce are at the top of their pay scale.
Download Probation Pay bulletin 9 (Word)