Prisons Dispute - GMB Union Demands Action To Protect Private Sector Workers In Law Enforcement And Calls For “Summit” To Prevent Collective Nervous Breakdown In The Sector

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Date: August 2007

GMB says Government should pay the prison officers the pay review body award in full and stop using the threat of court action to settle industrial relations matters.

GMB, the largest union in the privately run part of the law enforcement sector, says Government should pay the prison officers the pay review body award in full and stop using the threat of court action to settle industrial relations matters.

GMB has demanded that the Government take urgent action to prevent additional pressure being heaped upon its members in the private sector as a result of the Prison Officer’s Association (POA) dispute. GMB represents employees across the law enforcement sector, including custody suites, court services, inter-prison transport and prisons themselves.

Mick Rix, GMB National Officer said “Across the law enforcement sector there are huge pressures on employees. The Government should not have interfered with the pay review body award. This interference has given rise to this dispute.

It is quite clear that the law enforcement sector is heading for a collective nervous breakdown, which can be avoided. GMB are calling on the Government, especially Jack Straw, to urgently intervene and bring some much needed and welcome fresh thinking to the sector. To start with, the Government should convene an urgent summit of trades unions across the law enforcement sector, including prisons, to discuss all the issues of concern, including pay and general matters around morale and the ever decreasing staffing ratios as a result of the rising numbers being dealt with by the sector”.

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Contact: Mick Rix,GMB National Officer07971 268343 or Steve Pryle, GMB Press Officer on 07921 289880

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