In a snap decision today the Prison Officers' Association (POA) has called a strike of their members across the entire HM Prison Service (HMPS) managed estate. The strike, for a minimum of 24 hours, is in response to poor working conditions and a below inflation pay award. There is much discontent within HMPS that the government has decided the 'independent' pay review body's recommendation of a 2.5% pay award should be phased in over 2 years instead of one year as intended. In effect, this decision reduced the value of the pay award to only 1.9% which is slightly below the current rate of inflation - in real terms HMPS staff would be taking a pay cut. Read more. http://news.netscape.com/story/2007/08/29/prison-strike
Who the heck is gonna feed them? AGS better get up there with a sandwich for his friends and family at least.
Touche! Very good. I believe it's sandwiches all around today as most of the kitchen staff are on strike too. The governor grades have the day off from paperwork and are having to do all the prisoner-facing tasks.
I consider this to be a bit of scandal. As long as they're getting fed I don't feel too bad, but this seems like a dereliction of duty. That said, can you imagine what a depressing job that is to work at a prison? You go in every day and lock yourself up!
They've been forced into this action - year after year of below inflation pay awards - pay cuts in real terms. Then the government ignores the independent pay recommendation. Then the government tells them to save £60 million when the prison population is at an all time high and the Victorian infrastructure is crumbling away.
I don't blame them for wanting more pay. So is this a government job only or are any prisons privatized?
A few are privatised (maybe only 10%) - the ones that lose lots of prisoners and have a high staff turnover.
Honestly i believe this is/was sickening (i have yet to find out the latest) those people locked up in the cells depend on those PO to feed & look after them