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The General Secretary
The question needs to be put in the light of the Pay Review Body’s recommendations – the Government staging of pay for all POA members in England and Wales and the continued failure of the Prison Services JIRPAto deal in a fair and decent way with our union concerns. This membership needs to be treated no differently than any other public sector union. We understand our responsibility to society; we do not need to be lectured by a Prison Board who hides from the hard responses that need to be given in order to secure proper funding for Prisons or an NHS/ Department of Health who can only see as far as the next privateer to ensure the health of the nation. If we are to make a decision not to role over and to be continuously kicked then we will need to take risks and to spend POA money. There are those who may wish to make this a public political issue. As the Unions General Secretary I have to advise our membership that our rights, our freedom and our democracy are exactly that. It is Politicians that determine how we are treated. It was a Conservative Government that brought in TULCRA and its previous anti trades union laws. It has been the New Labour administration that has failed to reverse these laws and re and to re-instate our full Trade Union rights. It is now alleged that a lobbying Company Golden Arrow working for private multi-national companies and the so called “not for profit” institutions can have access to the Prison Ministers diary to ensure they take jobs away from the Public Sector. So it is clearly a Political matter that can only have a Political outcome. We are in that political “amphitheatre” – we either fight or get eaten by the lions. If we are to be a Trades Union you must decide to fight back and to create a Trades Union fighting fund through the forthcoming ballot. You must decide through the ballot box to maintain a political fund and most importantly, you must decide to end those agreements with this government on determination of Pay and disputes relating to our Terms and Conditions of employment. First and foremost our members need to be “persuaded” that they should ensure that the Prison Service and Politicians understand that their co-operation will no longer be given for nothing. This would obviously include the working of Contract Supplementary Hours. Whilst we continue to campaign with the TUC for fair Trade Union laws within the United Kingdom. We must however, ensure that JIRPA and the Pay Review Body is replaced by free colective bargaining and a return of Trades Union rights including the full application of TULCRA. Brian Caton
FEBRUARY 2007: The General Secretary DECEMBER 2006: The General Secretary OCTOBER 2006: The General Secretary AUGUST 2006: The General Secretary JUNE 2006: The General Secretary APRIL 2006: The General Secretary FEBRUARY 2006: The General Secretary DECEMBER 2005: The General Secretary OCTOBER 2005: The General Secretary AUGUST 2005: The General Secretary JUNE 2005: The General Secretary |
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