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Press releasesREF: PR/14/07 DATE: 2nd February 2007 To: ALL POLITICAL PRESS RELEASE Leaders of The POA Face ImprisonmentThe leaders of the POA are to return to the High Court in London today to face contempt charges and further legal action. On 31st January 2007 the POA were taken to Court by the Prison Service and Government as the Home Secretary Dr John Reid exercised his authority under Para 7 of the Annex to the Joint Industrial Relations Procedural Agreement (JIRPA). It was claimed that the leaders of the union by advising members of their policy not to work Contract Supplementary Hours (CSH), was disrupting the normal running of the Prison Service. Mr Justice Grigson found in favour of the Government and Prison Service and an order was issued. The leaders of the POA believed they had complied fully with the order, when they issued a POA Circular advising its members of the contents of the order and other restrictions. Colin Moses National Chairman of the POA said, “The leadership of this union is appalled that we have been accused by the Prison Service and Government of not complying with the Court Order. We have used our best endeavours to fully co-operate with the Mr Justice Grigsons order even though we do not believe we have disrupted the normal running of the Prison Service. This is the second time in a week that this union has been dragged into Court, a clear waste of tax payers money. The Prison Service is in crisis and it is trying to use the Courts to smash this union”. Brian Caton General Secretary said, “We are appalled that a Labour Government would resort to legal proceedings to attack a free and independent trade union. This union has been seeking meetings to resolve the prisons crisis but, has been met with dumb insolence. It is a sad day when unions are being attacked and the leaders threatened with imprisonment or heavy fines to support the mismanagement of the Prison Service which is clearly in crisis”.
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