PROBATION staff in Thurrock went on a 24-hour strike against government cuts which could see close to 70% of the service sold off to private companies.
A group of Thurrock probation employees decided to join the nationwide strike against privatisation of the probation service.
A spokeswoman said: “We feel that this is being pushed through government and is not being well-thought out and with no transparency.
“The probation service are important and outsourcing services and trying to do so, so quickly without a proper trial is concerning. It is a public safety concern.
“We work hard and do well at managing offenders to make sure they do not reoffend. Offenders won’t have the right support with a privatisation of the probation service and a ‘payment by results’ system.
“If people want to support us then they should sign the petition and write to their MP.”
Medium-risk and low-risk offenders will be managed by private companies with around £450m worth of contracts being offered to private and voluntary sector organisations.
A new public sector National Probation Service will deal with more than 30,000 high-risk offenders each year.
To sign the online petition visit, http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/44403.
Oh dear. A branch of the social worker wing of the left being asked to do their job under the constraints that the vast majority of people have to cope with. Psychotherapists do very well in the private sector. Why is it that publicly funded employees feel threatened by the private sector?
Okay guys, you have made your point, now get back to work. God knows there is plenty of crime in Thurrock so your jobs are safe and there will also be plenty of opportunity for private and third sector as well. Boom time all round in the probation business.