On Friday 22nd May 2020 NUPIT branch committee attended PI4J meeting. Among other subjects we discussed COVID-19 and how “the new normal” is affecting interpreting community, including remote working, rate reductions and financial support available for linguistic community.

Since lockdown, we have written to the police and HMCTS to ensure that our members are safe while working at police stations and courts.

We have also written to the NPCC and MOJ to ensure that agencies comply with rates agreed in the original contract and do not use the current crisis to cut interpreters’ and translators’ pay. We received positive replies from both.

Furthermore, we have written to thebigword expressing concerns our members have raised about the agency’s conduct and policies.