Prison service industrial and agricultural grades pay and conditions 2007

Representatives from the unions with members in the industrial and agricultural grades met with the Prison Service management on January 29.

The Prison Service management informed the unions that although the 2 per cent pay offer had been rejected in a consultative ballot, they were imposing the pay award.

The pay increase and back pay were due to be added to workers salaries on January 31.

UCATT have expressed their extreme disappointment with the attitude of the Prison Service and believe it represents a complete breakdown of trust and was highly detrimental to future healthy industrial relations. This is especially the case as the issue of on-call payments remains unresolved and prison service management suggested that a deal (untabled) could be achieved in this area.

After much debate it was reluctantly decided that unions would not seek industrial action at this time. Although the consultative ballot did reject the pay offer it was less than overwhelming (57 per cent: 43 per cent) and without a strong mandate from members the chances of successful industrial action were slim.

It has been agreed that the longstanding injustices experienced by industrial grade prison staff need to be given greater political exposure. In particular the chronic low pay, the recruitment crisis and a large percentage of the workforce close to retirement age, needs to be highlighted.

A meeting with the prisons minister David Hanson has been arranged for next month. A lobbying campaign of MPs will then begin. MPs will be sent a briefing on the situation facing the industrial grades in the prison service and asked to sign an Early Day Motion in support of better pay and conditions. Members will also be supplied with a model letter, with which they can directly lobby their local MP.

It is hoped that this political campaign and through the raising of awareness about conditions experienced by industrial staff in the prison service will secure a better pay settlement for industrial grade staff in 2008 and beyond.