Probation Officers and Solicitors on Strike

By Ian Reynolds

The National Association of Probation Officers (Napo) and the London Criminal Courts Solicitors Association called a two-day strike from the 31st March. This is the second time both groups have taken industrial action within six months — but the first time action has been coordinated — to oppose the cuts and privatisation affecting probation services and magistrates and Crown courts all over Britain. (For a report on Napo’s first strike action, see “Probation service strike back.”)

With around 14,000 involved in the action, workers were giving their thumbs down to what Napo General Secretary called “a dangerous social experiment that we believe will lead to a reduction in rehabilitation and fragmented risk management, placing the public at risk.”

Astoundingly, the Government intends to outsource seventy percent of the probation service: an insane idea that is untried and untested, with no evidence that it can possibly improve service provision. All that is proven is that such actions will contribute to the race-to-the-bottom whereby demonstrably criminal companies will ‘bid’ to supervise so-called medium-risk offenders.

Corporate-run service provision will inevitably lead to short-cuts like failing to provide the fully trained and experienced staff that are so vitally needed in all areas, like for example to help assess signs of risk to victims, like those of domestic violence.

So far millions of pounds have already been spent on consultancy fees and on employing extra civil servants to help push these vile privatisation plans through. However, on a positive note just last week barristers were to call off taking industrial action when the Government agreed to delay its proposed legal aid cuts.

Legal Aid minister Shailesh Vara said: “We’ve always said we want to do all that we can to help lawyers facing fee cuts.” In other words the Government had been forced to climb down! Although only a partial retreat it is clear that the same can be achieved with other areas of public services, and much inspiration should be taken from this weeks collective strike action. What is needed however is coordinated action between all sectors of society being devastated by the cuts: roll on a 24-Hour General Strike.