zARCHIVED: Joint statement on Harmonisation

This note provides an update on the progress of the harmonisation negotiations currently underway between HMPPS and the 3 recognised Trade Unions; NAPO, UNISON and GMB SCOOP.

Harmonisation is the process by which staff who transferred to the Probation Service in June 2021 from Parent and Supply Chain organisations may have their pay, terms and conditions aligned to those of the Probation Service, subject to trade union members voting in favour of this in a forthcoming ballot.

Former Parent and Supply Chain organisation employees were transferred into the Probation Service on their former employer pay, terms and conditions. This will remain the case until agreement is reached on harmonisation.  For harmonisation to be successfully implemented, members of all 3 Trade Unions who are in scope of potential harmonisation must vote for the negotiated package via a ballot -only then can the terms be implemented. To vote in the ballot, you must be a member of a recognised Trade Union.

If accepted by members of all three Trade Unions at the ballot, harmonisation to Probation Service pay and conditions will take place prior to any onward transfer of former parent company and supply chain organisation employees assigned to roles in either HMPPS or MOJ functional roles.

The scope of harmonisation negotiation covers pay plus other contractual rights which were protected at point of transfer such as annual leave, allowances, entitlements, contractual hours etc. Negotiations will also consider the effective date for any changes to terms and conditions. The starting point for the negotiations are the terms in the National Staff Transfer and Protections Agreement which applied to CRC staff transferring into the Probation Service and we are aiming to replicate this as far as possible in terms of structure and content. You can read the terms of this agreement here.

We remain on track to be ready to move to staff ballot by the spring of this year. Discussions are proceeding well. That said, the negotiations remain complex with a number of issues to resolve. Together, we have a shared collective aim to achieve agreement on the terms to put to trade union members in the forthcoming ballot.

We appreciate you will want to know more detail but we cannot allow the negotiations to be jeopardised.  We are of course holding regular update sessions for both staff and line managers both of which involve contributions from TU colleagues. As soon as we have an agreed package, we’re committed to ensuring you all understand the proposed changes and what they will mean for you.

In the interim if you have any questions about your own situation then please contact your Trade Union representative. General queries about the harmonisation or secondary transfer process can be submitted to the harmonisation functional mailbox; HandSTenquiries@justice.gov.uk.