The National Chairman

February 2006

SHEPPEY SUCCESS!

Prisons on the Isle of Sheppey awarded SLA, following the Home Secretary's decision to stop the Market Testing of these three Prisons.

The NEC to congratulate all the Committees and the members for their support.

SUCCESS BORN OUT OF UNITY

On 20th December 2005 the Home Secretary announced that the three prisons on the Isle of Sheppey Elmley, Standford Hill and Swaleside had been granted an SLA (Service Level Agreement) for three years, so keeping these prisons in the public sector and avoiding the corrosive effects of a Market Test.

The POA has run a successful campaign against the Market Testing of these three high performing prisons on the Isle of Sheppey since NOMS made the announcement of a Market Test on 22nd March 2005.

Whilst most observers both inside and out of the Prison Service believed that POA could not be successful in halting and preventing this proposed Market Test, the National Executive Committee were always of the belief that a united union could be successful.

The branch officials and members on the Isle of Sheppey should be applauded and congratulated for the valiant efforts and hard work.

The result that all the POA wanted was gained through enacting our motto of "Unity is Strength", the campaign was based on putting forward that there was, and is no need to Privatise well run and performing public sector prisons. This exercise has shown that it is completely unnecessary to Market Test, under the guise of Contestability, public sector prisons that are functioning correctly.

The struggle will continue to convince both NOMS and the Government that the practice of Market Testing is not needed and is ill conceived.

The Home Secretary has stated that he envisages a fully contestable and plural market in the delivery of offender services. The results on the Isle of Sheppey prove that the public sector can meet such challenges. The POA demands a correctly funded and properly managed public sector that can remain at the forefront of such a market. The viability of any market is one that is run fairly, that is not the current case. We have a market place for Contestability managed by NOMS that is perverse in the way that it is kilted towards the private sector.

The success of the Isle of Sheppey unfortunately brings a certain level of disappointment, in as much as the Home Secretary seems to have followed fl awed advice from NOMS in not introducing a Continuous Improvement Plan for all public sector prisons as proposed by the POA and discussed in a series of meetings held with him since May last year. We believe that a CIP properly fi nanced and properly managed would deliver all that is needed for an even more successful public sector.

NOMS has blocked the introduction of the CIP and that can only be so it can continue with its ill conceived belief in Market Testing. The POA will oppose by all means at its disposal the Contracting Out of public sector prisons by NOMS. The ideology that drives NOMS is one of expanding the private sector. The POA, by what has been achieved on the Isle of Sheppey has proven that there is no sound reason for any further Market Testing.

The unity and positive work shown by the POA has proven that the methods used on the Isle of Sheppey bring results. The threat of Privatisation should be removed as this proves we can deliver without it. It is unfortunate that those who currently Head up NOMS show great distain for any process that do not involve the private sector. We still have many challenges ahead to preserve the terms and conditions and the continued employment in the public sector of POA members. This is a challenge we must win as aunited union.

Failure in our efforts to preserve the current public sector estate will mean thousands of professional workers having their pensions eroded and their future employment called into doubt. Let no one be miss-lead by the utterance of those that are disaffected and state that being Privatised and being transferred under TUPE holds safe guards for our pensions and terms and conditions. Those that promulgate such views are ill informed and working against this union.

Colin Moses
National Chairman

CONGRATULATIONS

I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate Steve Cox on his recent election as National Vice Chairman to take up offi ce on 1st June 2006; I look forward to working alongside Steve in his new role.

I would also like to offer congratulations to Dave Melrose on his re-election as Chairman of the POA in Scotland. My congratulations also go to Stuart Simpson of HMP Glenochil on his successful election as Treasurer in Scotland.