Court Proceedings
The end of 2006 and the first half of 2007 has seen the Prison Service attempt to progress their industrial relations increasingly through the use of the courts despite POA calls for the Service to come to the table and negotiate with the Union in a partnership approach rather than continually attempting to circumvent the Joint Industrial Relations Procedural Agreement (JIRPA).
Despite our requests, the Prison Service continue to ignore our representations to negotiate on our current dispute.
Finally on the 8th May the Service once again returned to the courts in an attempt to attack the Union and its Rules and Constitution. Thankfully they were unsuccessful in their attempts to have members of the National Executive Committee imprisoned, and or fine the Union, through their Contempt of Court proceedings.
Following this action against the Union, the National Executive Committee took the decision that they were left with no other option but to give twelve months notice to withdraw from the JIRPA.
The documents attached to this page include copies of POA Circulars and other papers that relate to recent courts events and other links to information about the wider campaign to regain full tade union rights for prison officers, to provide readers with a greater understanding of the POA position.
POA Circulars
- 20-Sept 2006, POA Circular 141Briefing Paper POA Dispute 2006
- 29-Sept 2006, POA Circular 147Addendum - Pay Briefing Paper Inderlying Issues POA V Prison Service Industrial Dispute
- 30-Jan 2007, POA Circular 18Legal Action Against the Union, Compulsory Working of Additional Hours
- 31-Jan 2007, POA Circular 19Freedom of Expression
- 2-Feb 2007, POA Circular 20Freedom of Expression: Independent Free Trade Union
- 2-Feb2007, POA Circular 21Freedom of Expression: Update and Clarification of POA Circular 19/2007
- 6-Feb 2007, POA Circular 22Industrial Relations - Communication to all Prison Service Staff From Mr Phil Wheatley Monday 29th January 2007
- 8-Feb 2007, POA Circular 25Legal /Industrial Relations - Without Prejudice Meetings with the Prison Service - 5th and 6th February 2007
- 20-Feb 2007, POA Circular 28Legal - Contract Supplementary Hours
- 14-Apr 2007, POA Circular 46Legal/Industrial Relations - Contract Supplementary Hours (CSH)
- 17-Apr 2007, POA Circular 51Legal - Contract Supplementary Hours Attack on the POA by the Prison Service
- 27-Apr 2007, POA Circular 57TUC/EUROFEDOP - Threat of Legal Action
- 3-May 2007, POA Circular 58JIRPA Dispute
- 8-May 2007, POA Circular 61Contempt of Court Proceedongs 8th May 2007
- 9-May 2007, POA Circular 62Matters Affecting the Union - Withdrawal From JIRPA
- 24-May 2007, POA Circular 71Annual Conference Motion 19 Contract Supplementary Hours (CSH)
Papers relating to the Contempt of Court Case, 8th May 2007
Links to other relevant information
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Click here to read the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Committee on Freedom of Association Reports on the POA Case No. 2383.
Click here to see the website for the United Campaign to Repeal the Anti Trade Union Laws, a campaigning organisation supported by the POA. one of their main aims is to gain support for the passing of the Trade Union Rights and Freedom Bill, which would return Trade Union Rights to Prison Officers.
Further documents and papers will be added to this site as the become available.
