The National Chairman

August 2007

SAY NO TO SCH TO HELP US SAY YES TO A DECENT PAY AWARD

The Contract Supplementary Hours Scheme in England and Wales has been one of the most divisive issues that this union has faced in many years. The Conference policy of this union is to oppose CSH. Whilst the NEC is aware that members would rather work for payment as opposed to work TOIL, CSH is a system that has never been approved or agreed with the POA. In the last few months the Prison Service has taken the POA to Court in an attempt to stop the Union from implementing its policy which opposes CSH and the Court has determined that the union can only persuade and not threaten or cajole its members not to work CSH.

This union has never threatened its members, what we have done is to remind our members, and I will do that again through this article, that CSH is against the policy of the union. The POA have given an undertaking that in the lifetime of the JIRPA we will follow the wording of the agreement. The JIRPA comes to an end on 8th May 2008. At that time we will review with our legal advisors what actions we can take through our Rules and Constitution against those that breach the POA policy by signing up thereafter. The NEC stands ready to negotiate with the Prison Service a system of payment for working over and above 39 hours that is both fair and equitable to our members. The Prison Service have previously rejected our attempts at negotiation in favour of use of the Courts and a reliance on those who volunteer for CSH. We therefore welcome the Prison Service long overdue statement that they are willing to talk about CSH.

We are currently entering the period where we put in our pay submission for the 2008 pay award. Undoubtedly the foundation for the Prison Service’s evidence will be that there is no shortage of staff. They will reinforce this with the fact that regimes are maintained without the use of operational emergencies, which of course is only possible by reason of the level of CSH being worked. While the Prison Service can maintain the facade that they have full staffing and produce figures subsidised by the use of CSH, we will continue to receive below inflation pensionable pay awards. Some will argue that we have always worked CSH and that has not impacted on the pay award. That is wrong. The Prison Service whilst paying the amount they do for CSH will use that as a yard stick for the rate that prison officers will work for. For those at the lower edges of the pay scale it could be argued that the CSH rate is above their normal hourly rate.

Colin Moses
National Chairman

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