West Mercia has £9m to save and branches covering both CRCs are now Warwickshire has a further £6m to working closely together. save. All these savings are to be The UNISON membership within the achieved by 1st April 2018 and come National Probation Service, as with when the security threat still remains at colleagues elsewhere within NPS, is severe. As a consequence there is a coping with the changes brought in constant pressure to reduce through E3. Staff may not be happy as expenditure which in most cases falls to where they are being deployed, but on police staff, either in reduction in there are no immediate job losses. numbers and redundancies, or reduction in shifts and associated pay. Against this background, across all Against this backdrop West Midlands parts of the service group, there has Police, under the insistence of the been little appetite for campaigning to Labour PCC, is taking on 800 new improve terms and conditions or pay, police officers, many of whom are as staff continue to reel under the former PCSOs, or members of police continued pressures. staff. There is commitment to backfilling these posts. Elsewhere in the region there is a move from the PCC to take over Yorkshire & Humberside Region control of the fire and rescue services in Staffordshire and in West Mercia. Branches in the Yorkshire & This is not a move that is welcomed by Humberside Region have focused the staff concerned and UNISON is heavily on retention of membership involved in representing the members density to ensure influence with the concerned. respective employers is maintained. Both Humberside and North Yorkshire Both the Warwickshire and West Police branches have two of the Mercia CRC and the Staffordshire and highest density levels within UNISON. West Midlands CRC are struggling West Yorkshire Branch have seen an with inadequate funding. Cuts to increase in membership during staffing have left the remaining staff 2016/17 and increased their density very stretched. Staffordshire and West levels to over 50%. Midlands (SWM) CRC, which is owned by Reducing Reoffending Partnership Within the Probation Service, UNISON (RRP), has in many respects ceased has been particularly active following to operate as distinct company, the appointment of a Fighting Fund because RRP treats both SWM CRC Organiser (FFO). A number of and the East Midlands based activities have been undertaken during Derbyshire Leicestershire 2017, including monthly drop-in Nottinghamshire and Rutland (DLNR) sessions which were particularly CRC as one entity. The UNISON successful in East Riding having identified new workplace reps.
West Mercia has £9m to save and Warwickshire has a further £6m to save. All these savings are to be achieved by 1st April 2018 and come when the security threat still remains at severe. As a consequence there is a constant pressure to reduce expenditure which in most cases falls on police staff, either in reduction in numbers and redundancies, or reduction in shifts and associated pay. Against this backdrop West Midlands Police, under the insistence of the Labour PCC, is taking on 800 new police officers, many of whom are former PCSOs, or members of police staff. There is commitment to backfilling these posts. Elsewhere in the region there is a move from the PCC to take over control of the fire and rescue services in Staffordshire and in West Mercia. This is not a move that is welcomed by the staff concerned and UNISON is involved in representing the members concerned. Both the Warwickshire and West Mercia CRC and the Staffordshire and West Midlands CRC are struggling with inadequate funding. Cuts to staffing have left the remaining staff very stretched. Staffordshire and West Midlands (SWM) CRC, which is owned by Reducing Reoffending Partnership (RRP), has in many respects ceased to operate as distinct company, because RRP treats both SWM CRC and the East Midlands based Derbyshire Leicestershire Nottinghamshire and Rutland (DLNR) CRC as one entity. The UNISON branches covering both CRCs are now working closely together. The UNISON membership within the National Probation Service, as with colleagues elsewhere within NPS, is coping with the changes brought in through E3. Staff may not be happy as to where they are being deployed, but there are no immediate job losses. Against this background, across all parts of the service group, there has been little appetite for campaigning to improve terms and conditions or pay, as staff continue to reel under the continued pressures. Yorkshire & Humberside Region Branches in the Yorkshire & Humberside Region have focused heavily on retention of membership density to ensure influence with the respective employers is maintained. Both Humberside and North Yorkshire Police branches have two of the highest density levels within UNISON. West Yorkshire Branch have seen an increase in membership during 2016/17 and increased their density levels to over 50%. Within the Probation Service, UNISON has been particularly active following the appointment of a Fighting Fund Organiser (FFO). A number of activities have been undertaken during 2017, including monthly drop-in sessions which were particularly successful in East Riding having identified new workplace reps.
2017-Police-and-Justice-Annual-Report.docx