Letter from Amy Rees regarding NPS Trade Unions and Medium Term Covid19 Recovery

E13 -2020

Dear Colleagues

Please find attached a letter from Amy Rees which sets out assurances on health and safety in line with the NPS Road Map to Recovery and which reinforces her and the NPS’s commitment to working together with the trade unions on the probation recovery phase of the COVID pandemic. The letter restates the commitment which NPS has made to fund additional project time for trade union representatives to undertake covid19 recovery work and the to the principle of working in partnership with the unions on the recovery:

In respect of facility and project time, I wanted to confirm that at a National Level, it is agreed that exceptionally for the duration of the COVID recovery planning phase sufficient project time (additional to current facility time) will be made available to those elected National Officials who you wish to nominate to support this important work. I understand that you are making your nominations and requests for this time to Francis Stuart, Head of Employee Relations, who will write out to the relevant managers on my behalf. This project time is provided on the understanding that this will enable you to better structure your representation to engage fully with this important work and be aligned to what will be challenging timescales which continue to reflect the operational urgency and unique circumstances that we are all working under. This allocation will be reviewed every three months. At a local level, I will be writing out to Directors to ask that they also provide sufficient additional local trade union facility time to local trade union representatives to ensure that full engagement is able to take place on local COVID recovery plans and safe systems of work.

The NPS has approved a number of bids from UNISON for additional project time for representatives to undertake covid19 project work. Branches or reps wishing to make bids can contact me directly to discuss.

This e-mail has gone to NPS Committee members and all branches with probation members.

Regards

Ben

National Officer

Police and Justice Service Group

UNISON

130, Euston Road

London

NW1 2AY