Given that "Mr Straw has said the answer was not to build more prisons but to keep people out of them". A good starting point would be the immediate dismissal of all those prison officers who have broken the law by going on an unofficial strike.
The Times story here. I note in the last paragraph it states: "The head of the Prisons Service, Phil Wheatley, is reported to be on holiday. In his absence, it would fall to Jack Straw, Secretary of State for Justice, to deal with the prison officers' action". However, given that the Prison Service is based upon a hierarchy of powers, surely it falls to Michael Spurr the Deputy Director General of the Prison Service to deal with the prison officers unlawful strike action and not Jack Straw the Minister of Justice? The former is responsible for the operational side whereas the latter is responsible for policy. Remember the Michael Howard and Derek Lewis affair?
According to the Independent: "An independent pay review body recommended a 2.5% pay rise but the Government decided this should be made in two stages of 1.5% in April and 1% in October, which reduced the value of the award". Surely, 1.5% + 1% = 2.5% so what is their problem? I can't see how a recommendation for 2.5% and being given that, albeit in two stages rather than all at once, reduces the size of the award.
Oh, and before the Tory Party wallahs start giving knee-jerk responses to this crisis digest this little snippet of info first: "The union had its right to take industrial action taken away by the Conservative Government in 1993 and even if it could strike it would have to give seven days' notice before any action".
Whatever next? Screws claiming they have got human rights! "Brian Caton, the general secretary of the POA, said he believed 90% of his members were on strike. He disputed the illegality of the action.
"I believe every officer has human rights and they include the right to withdraw their labour," he said". You've got the human right to join the dole queue like the rest of us...
UPDATE: Are prison officers right to strike?
Government granted prison strike injunction.
Criminal Justice Act 1994 as it relates to prison officers striking and pay conditions.
Chapter IV he Prison Service
126 Service in England and Wales and Northern Ireland
(1) The relevant employment legislation shall have effect as if an individual who as a member of the prison service acts in a capacity in which he has the powers or privileges of a constable were not, by virtue of his so having those powers or privileges, to be regarded as in police service for the purposes of any provision of that legislation.
(2) In this section “the relevant employment legislation” means—
(a) the [1978 c. 44.] Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978 and the [1992 c. 52.] Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992; and
(b) the [S.I. 1976/1043 (N.I. 16).] Industrial Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1976, the [S.I. 1976/2147 (N.I. 28).] Industrial Relations (No. 2) (Northern Ireland) Order 1976 and the [S.I. 1992/807 (N.I. 5).] Industrial Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1992.
(3) For the purposes of this section a person is a member of the prison service if he is an individual holding a post to which he has been appointed for the purposes of section 7 of the [1952 c. 52.] Prison Act 1952 or under section 2(2) of the [1953 c. 18 (N.I.).] Prison Act (Northern Ireland) 1953 (appointment of prison staff).
(4) Except for the purpose of validating anything that would have been a contravention of section 127(1) below if it had been in force, subsection (1) above, so far as it relates to the question whether an organisation consisting wholly or mainly of members of the prison service is a trade union, shall be deemed always to have had effect and to have applied, in relation to times when provisions of the relevant employment legislation were not in force, to the corresponding legislation then in force.
(5) Subsection (6) below shall apply where—
(a) the certificate of independence of any organisation has been cancelled, at any time before the passing of this Act, in consequence of the removal of the name of that organisation from a list of trade unions kept under provisions of the relevant employment legislation; but
(b) it appears to the Certification Officer that the organisation would have remained on the list, and that the certificate would have remained in force, had that legislation had effect at and after that time in accordance with subsection (1) above.
(6) Where this subsection applies—
(a) the Certification Officer shall restore the name to the list and delete from his records any entry relating to the cancellation of the certificate;
(b) the removal of the name from the list, the making of the deleted entry and the cancellation of the certificate shall be deemed never to have occurred; and
(c) the organisation shall accordingly be deemed, for the purposes for which it is treated by virtue of subsection (4) above as having been a trade union, to have been independent throughout the period between the cancellation of the certificate and the deletion of the entry relating to that cancellation.
127 Inducements to withhold services or to indiscipline
(1) A person contravenes this subsection if he induces a prison officer—
(a) to withhold his services as such an officer; or
(b) to commit a breach of discipline.
(2) The obligation not to contravene subsection (1) above shall be a duty owed to the Secretary of State.
(3) Without prejudice to the right of the Secretary of State, by virtue of the preceding provisions of this section, to bring civil proceedings in respect of any apprehended contravention of subsection (1) above, any breach of the duty mentioned in subsection (2) above which causes the Secretary of State to sustain loss or damage shall be actionable, at his suit or instance, against the person in breach.
(4) In this section “prison officer” means any individual who—
(a) holds any post, otherwise than as a chaplain or assistant chaplain or as a medical officer, to which he has been appointed for the purposes of section 7 of the [1952 c. 52.] Prison Act 1952 or under section 2(2) of the [1953 c. 18 (N.I.).] Prison Act (Northern Ireland) 1953 (appointment of prison staff),
(b) holds any post, otherwise than as a medical officer, to which he has been appointed under section 3(1) of the [1989 c. 45.] Prisons (Scotland) Act 1989, or
(c) is a custody officer within the meaning of Part I of this Act or a prisoner custody officer, within the meaning of Part IV of the [1991 c. 53.] Criminal Justice Act 1991 or Chapter II or III of this Part.
(5) The reference in subsection (1) above to a breach of discipline by a prison officer is a reference to a failure by a prison officer to perform any duty imposed on him by the prison rules or any code of discipline having effect under those rules or any other contravention by a prison officer of those rules or any such code.
(6) In subsection (5) above “the prison rules” means any rules for the time being in force under section 47 of the Prison Act 1952, section 39 of the Prisons (Scotland) Act 1989 or section 13 of the Prison Act (Northern Ireland) 1953 (prison rules).
(7) This section shall be disregarded in determining for the purposes of any of the relevant employment legislation whether any trade union is an independent trade union.
(8) Nothing in the relevant employment legislation shall affect the rights of the Secretary of State by virtue of this section.
(9) In this section “the relevant employment legislation” has the same meaning as in section 126 above.
128 Pay and related conditions
(1) The Secretary of State may by regulations provide for the establishment, maintenance and operation of procedures for the determination from time to time of—
(a) the rates of pay and allowances to be applied to the prison service; and
(b) such other terms and conditions of employment in that service as may appear to him to fall to be determined in association with the determination of rates of pay and allowances.
(2) Before making any regulations under this section the Secretary of State shall consult with such organisations appearing to him to be representative of persons working in the prison service and with such other persons as he thinks fit.
3) The power to make regulations under this section shall be exercisable by statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
(4) Regulations under this section may—
(a) provide for determinations with respect to matters to which the regulations relate to be made wholly or partly by reference to such factors, and the opinion or recommendations of such persons, as may be specified or described in the regulations;
(b) authorise the matters considered and determined in pursuance of the regulations to include matters applicable to times and periods before they are considered or determined;
(c) make such incidental, supplemental, consequential and transitional provision as the Secretary of State thinks fit; and
(d) make different provision for different cases.
(5) For the purposes of this section the prison service comprises all the individuals who are prison officers within the meaning of section 127 above, apart from those who are custody officers within the meaning of Part I of this Act or prisoner custody officers within the meaning of Part IV of the [1991 c. 53.] Criminal Justice Act 1991 or Chapter II or III of this Part.
"I can't see how a recommendation for 2.5% and being given that, albeit in two stages rather than all at once, reduces the size of the award."
ReplyDeleteSo, have you wondered why it's being done? £100 now is worth more than £100 in a year's time. (Hints: interest, inflation.) Staging pay increases is a very old trick to have higher headline figure than the true value, particularly often used by Government and public bodies.
Surely, being given any award in two stages actually increases the offer, rather than decreases its value? For example, on a salary of £20,000, 2.5% would be £500.00, which is £20,500 if given at once.
ReplyDeleteBut if say, 1.5% was given first, then any additional percentage would be based on a higher amount than the original figure of £20,000. i.e. £20,000 x 1.5% = £300, with the salary being £20,300.
A few months later, the additional 1% is added on, not to £20,000 but to £20,300. i.e. £20,300 x 1% = £203.
The grand total then becomes £20,503, as opposed to £20,500.